Judi Dench as Aunt Iris
Judi Dench is one of the world's most respected and best-loved actresses. Last year, her work in Chocolat earned her a third Academy Award nomination. She was awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love in 1999. This lauded role also brought her the BAFTA, National Society of Film Critics Award, and nominations from the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes. She also starred as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama. She is a five-time BAFTA WINNER, including Best Actress in a Comedy Series for A Fine Romance, and Best Supporting Actress in A Handful of Dust and A Room with a View. Dench attended Mount School in York and studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama. She has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and at Old Vic Theatre. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1970, and was named Dame of the British Empire in 1988. Dench's upcoming projects include Iris with Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent and The Importance of Being Earnest with Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Francis O'Connor and Rupert Everett.
This short biography was taken from the Shipping News Web site. Thanks to Jan M for alerting me to it.
