ROSIE: How are you?
JUDI: Grand
ROSIE: Very good to see you.
JUDI: And you.
ROSIE: I loved the film. I thought were you so great in it.
JUDI: Thank you.
ROSIE: : It's the true story of Iris Murdoch who is a writer in England, and she got -- I guess it is Alzheimer's, but it seemed to be a severe form of Alzheimer's, did it not? ..or..
JUDI: Yeah. It always gets like that, I'm afraid.
ROSIE: Right.
JUDI: The terrible thing about that disease is that it gets -- it just increasingly takes over the person.
ROSIE: For her, it came fairly quickly, it started to take over...
JUDI: Yes. And it's happening, actually, to a friend of ours at the moment and it's amazing how quickly it happens. What is interesting is that it comes to a stage where the person looks at words and doesn't recognize words. Then it gets to a point where somehow they're able -- it passes them over. They can accept it. And it's the person who cares for them that you feel sorry for.
ROSIE: Yes. And what a wonderful performance by that actor who was in "Moulin Rouge," correct?
JUDI: Yes, yes. He was, and is.
ROSIE: A great, great role. The two of you have a wonderful chemistry and Kate Winslet plays the young Iris Murdoch, plays you in flashbacks.
JUDI: Yes. And Hugh Bonneville plays the young, John Bayley.
ROSIE: Right. And that's very good casting. I thought you and her made a very good blend.
JUDI: Yes, and to look at. You know, she's a tall, slim girl. And you wouldn't think that we could be that. But I think that watching it last night, I think you could believe that it was the same person.
ROSIE: Yes. Without a doubt. Especially the scenes where they're swimming, and the memories of you swimming and the way the bodies moved in the water. I felt there was a real similarity between the two characters.
JUDI: Yes. Yes.
ROSIE: Were you familiar with the author's work before you did this film?
JUDI: I was. Because one of her books, The Severed Head, was adapted and J.B. Priestley helped her with the adaptation of it for the theatre in the '60s. And two friends of mine were in it, Dicky Pasco and Barbara Leigh Hunt, were both in it, and I saw the play and loved the writing. I thought the writing was wonderful, and the acting. And the play, ultimately, just wonderful and so then I started to read her books. She wrote an amazing amount of novels. She was kind of a heroine of mine before I knew I was going to play it.
ROSIE: : Did know she had suffered from Alzheimers towards the end of her life? Was that common knowledge?
JUDI: I did, because I read John Bayley's book.
ROSIE: : In the movie version, she writes her final novel. In the time it takes for that to get published, she almost loses all of her facilities or faculties...to be able to...
JUDI: Doesn't recognize the final --
ROSIE: And it's her last piece.
JUDI: We think that she didn't ever recognize it. Yes, John Bayley thought that. But she may have done -- you know, there were flashes of consciousness that I think you get with that disease.
ROSIE: Yeah. And the love story between the two of them was really wonderful. He just sort of accepted her, and all of her eccentricities.
JUDI: And his. I mean, they were -- the story is really about two people who felt extraordinarily alike. I know we all are unique, but two such unique, two rather eccentric people who found each other. At the beginning you think, whatever -- why would these two people come together? But by the end, I hope you realize that it's a true love story.
ROSIE: It's very, very touching. Especially the scenes at the end when he finally gets upset in the bed. Really made me cry, that part. It was very touching. We have a clip. Do you know which one this is?
JUDI: No.
ROSIE: Neither do I. Which clip is it? Right. This is when the man comes to the house to see how -- if you have, in fact, progressed in your Alzheimers after you --
JUDI: Right, the Prime Minister.
ROSIE: Tries to test your knowledge of current events. Take a look. The movie is called "iris".
ROSIE: [After the applause which followed the playing of the clip] It's really a beautiful film. Now, do you -- do you feel the excitement of when people are talking Oscar? Do you even go to that place before they announce?
JUDI: No, I don't go to that place at all.
ROSIE: Rosie: Even when you're nominated? Is it almost a surprise to you?
JUDI: It's a huge surprise to be nominated and even greater when you win it, I tell you. You fall out of your seat.
ROSIE: Because there's talk for this film. I suppose you've heard.
JUDI: Well, there are lots of films coming out.
ROSIE: I have a feeling you're still going to get nominated, but all right. Is it true you almost didn't take the role in "Chocolat," that you said no first to that movie?
JUDI: I did.
ROSIE: You did? The reason?
JUDI: I said no because I was needed at the time at home very badly...
ROSIE: Right, for personal reasons...
JUDI: ...to look after my husband. And so I said no. But then I wasn't ever in France. So if I look as if I'm in France in that movie it's all a lie.. I'm near Bath, in England.
ROSIE: : They accommodated your schedule to allow you to...
JUDI: Yes. You know, I wasn't there very much. I was able to go down there so that was terrific.
ROSIE: That's a beautiful film as well.
JUDI: I haven't seen that.
ROSIE: You never saw that?
JUDI: No.
ROSIE: Do you not go see all the ones you're in?
JUDI: No.
ROSIE: Never? No kidding.
JUDI: Not often. Never saw "Room with a View" either.
ROSIE: Seriously? And the reason is?
JUDI: Because you're so close to it. You know, last night I did watch "iris." You're so close to it, you can't be objective about it. You just watch the things you had difficulty with and criticize yourself all the time and you forget the story in a way, and you're irritated because it's over.
ROSIE: Right. You know, I find I can never watch myself either. Because when I do, I think, I'm so annoying, that accent. I find myself very grating. If I'm flipping through and I see it I go quick past it.
JUDI: I know. Also last night somebody said to me they must have done a lot of prosthetics on you to look like that and for a second I thought, shall I say yes, they did? [Lots of laughter] Shall I just, oh, I was hours in the makeup? Or shall I just say I was just swept in, no makeup, and straight on.
ROSIE: Well you look pretty damn good, you really do. We're going to take a break and come back with Judi Dench. She's on Broadway in England -- which is the West End -- right now. Correct?
JUDI: Correct.
ROSIE: Right now, we're going to talk about that right after this break. Don't go away.
ROSIE: It's not out yet, it'll be out towards the end of the year. It's up for oscar consideration as well. "Iris" opens in New York and LA on the 14th and then all over the country after the first of the year. You also have another film opening, "The Shipping News," yes, and that's the very successful novel.
JUDI: Yes. Annie Proulx.
ROSIE:Who do you play in that?
JUDI: I play Agnis Hamm -- a good name. She's kind of a mad aunt of Kevin Spacey.
ROSIE: Right. We have a little clip of that. Shall we show it?
JUDI: That will be a fright. Yes.
ROSIE: Will it? You don't look, Dame Judi Dench. Because I'll just watch. You don't look, it will only annoy you. I'll tell you.
JUDI: Tell me about it.
ROSIE: I'll tell you how... Shipping News -- take a look:
ROSIE: Accent, that whole American thing. Newfoundland. Excellent. Do you find that difficult to take accents?
JUDI: I found that very difficult to do. I got to Nova Scotia and worked then with Nadia Van Ness [NOTE: I may have spelled this incorrectly] for two weeks and also a wonderful Canadian actor called Gordon Pinsent arrived who I used to send up rotten cause I said "not only do you have the right accent," he looks absolutely wonderful, kind of grizzled. So he don't need any makeup. He didn't need to work on the accent. I said "you get straight out of bed and straight onto the film set." I resented that. Severely, I resented that. But he was terrific, he was just wonderful and then I had to kind of commit it to speaking out loud. What I didn't know was that three or four members of the crew were from Newfoundland and I was glad I didn't know it before I did it.
ROSIE: Cause you would have been self conscious?
JUDI: Yes, I would, I would have been more self-conscious. But it was okay and very good to have references in them. And also the accent changes in so many different parts of Newfoundland. But I have an Irish mother and Irish ancestors and so that's very helpful because a lot of it sounds as if it is from the west of Ireland.
ROSIE: Yeah, was there any accent you've done that's been the most difficult? Is there one that...
JUDI: Probably Newfoundland.
ROSIE: Probably that. Yeah.
JUDI: Probably.
ROSIE: I always think if I did a film with an accent, all I'd be thinking about is the accent. And I'd think "Oh, no. I didn't say that word right." Almost takes you so out of the performance.
JUDI: I know. Well I think you do do that. A lot.
ROSIE: Not you, but other people.
JUDI: Yes, I.
ROSIE: You? You do it? Oh, well then next time I do it I won't feel bad. Now what play are you in now in the West End?
JUDI: I'm in The Royal Family, by George Kaufman and Edna Ferber.
ROSIE: And that's wonderful. How long is that run going to be?
JUDI: Til February 9th. It's a terrific cast.
ROSIE:Is it?
JUDI: Yes. What is wonderful also about it is that you don't -- it's not like Chekhov -- nobody has to do a great kind of emotional journey in it.
ROSIE: Right.
JUDI: You all get a good turn.
ROSIE: Yeah.
JUDI: And it's a happy company. So everyone, you know, metaphorically passes the ball to the next to keeping it up in the air.
ROSIE: Do you enjoy theatre more than films or is it hard to compare the two?
JUDI: Last time I talked to you I think I said I definitely enjoy the stage more. Well, now it is -- I enjoy the stage more. But now it's because I get -- I'm learning more about making films.
ROSIE: Oh really?
JUDI: Cause I do more filming.
ROSIE: So you're learning more while you're there about the art form of it? You have a different appreciation?
JUDI: You bet. I just know more about it -- how to do it better.
ROSIE: Do you think you would ever like to direct, yourself?
JUDI: No. A film?
ROSIE: Yes.
JUDI: No, because I don't know about that crossing the line thing.
ROSIE: Yeah, but you can hire someone who knows that.
JUDI: I know, but that's cheating.
ROSIE: Oh, that's true -- 'cause I said to Penny Marshall, I go how did you learn all this about cameras and the lines? You go [She mimics Penny Marshall in a strong New York accent.] "I don't know nutting. I ask the guy in the hat."
JUDI: [They laugh.] What a brilliant think to do!
ROSIE: Yes, she asked the guy in the hat -- that's all she needs to do. Well the film Iris " is really wonderful. I'm sure there's going to be an Oscar nomination for you, but I'm not the one to say it. And I can't wait til everybody goes to see it. Also The Shipping News opens on Christmas day all over the country, and you're going to do the next Bond film as M, correct?
JUDI: Yes. In January or February.
ROSIE: It comes out or you're starting to film it?
JUDI: No we start to film it then.
ROSIE: Excellent. Well, it's lovely to see you Dame Judi Dench.
JUDI: And you, Rosie.
ROSIE: Thank you very much for being here.