Believe it or not, Dame Judi Dench has no movie out in time for this year's Oscars. And as of right now, she's still free for 2003. How could this be? The Oscar winner for Shakespeare in Love and four-time nominee (also for Mrs. Brown, Chocolat, and Iris) is in London's West End, currently starring in David Hare's The Breath of Life through March 1.
About a month ago I had the pleasure of visiting Dame Judi backstage at the Royal Haymarket Theatre after seeing her and another Dame, Maggie Smith, perform this two-character play. If you can get to London between now and March 1, this pair should not be missed, even though the play is perhaps not as perfect as it could be. The two women, it turns out, have shared the same man (one of them was married to him), and now that he's gone they reminisce about him. It's standard fare, but in their hands the material comes alive and the Royal Haymarket fairly well glows with excitement.
Up seven little flights and turns (there's no elevator) Dame Judi is ensconced in the same dressing room she had last year when she starred in The Royal Family. On most nights after the show she welcomes guests for a glass of Champagne and a chat. Her daughter, Finty Williams, an actress, stops by from time to time with her toddler son, Sammy, who is also the apple of Judi's eye. Her best friend and understudy, Penny, who could also be her twin, is never far away. And often conversation turns to Judi's late husband, Michael Williams, who passed away in 2000 after a bout with cancer. Dench misses him terribly.
But fame has been fun, too. "The most amazing thing happened the other day, Roger, and you mustn't write about it," she said. "I fell asleep between the matinee and the evening show. And all of a sudden the phone rang and it was Elton John!"
"What did he want?" I asked.
"I'm not telling you!" she laughed. "But it was extraordinary."
Besides her Oscar nominations and theatre raves, Dame Judi also likes to make money. So she's not unhappy that Die Another Day, her third James Bond movie, as M, has been a worldwide hit. And she's ready for more. So bring it on!
This article appeared on the FoxNews Channel Website on December 31, 2002. I snipped the rest of the article because it was not relevant to this site. The photograph which accompanies the article was taken at the London premiere party for Die Another Day.