26 December 2025, 16:11
Dame Judi Dench has won an Academy Award, multiple BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and seven Olivier Awards.
Picture:
Getty
From Shakespearean stages to Hollywood films, here’s everything you need to know about Dame Judi Dench’s life, career, and family.
Dame Judi Dench is one of the most celebrated British actresses of all time, known for her powerful performances on stage and screen.
With a career spanning more than six decades, she has won an Academy Award, multiple BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and seven Olivier Awards.
Read on for everything you need to know about Judi Dench’s life, career, family, net worth and more:
How old is Judi Dench and where is she from?
Age: 91 (born 9 December 1934)
From: York, England
Instagram: @judidenchofficial
Dame Judith Olivia Dench is an English actress whose career began on the stage in the 1950s before expanding into film and television.
She was born to Reginald Dench, a doctor, and Eleanora Dench, a wardrobe mistress, in York, and grew up with a younger brother, Jeffery, who also became an actor.
Dame Judith Olivia Dench is an English actress whose career began on the stage in the 1950s before expanding into film and television.
Picture:
Getty
From an early age, Dench showed a passion for performance, taking part in school plays and local theatre productions.
She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and after joining the Royal Shakespeare Company, she earned acclaim for her commanding performances in classical roles, particularly in Shakespeare plays.
Judi Dench earned acclaim for her commanding performances in classical roles, particularly in Shakespeare plays. .
Picture:
Getty
Her transition to film and television came gradually, with her stage experience giving her a reputation for discipline and versatility.
Over time, Dench became a household name, seamlessly moving between theatre, film, and TV, and earning a place as one of Britain’s most respected and beloved performers.
In 2012, Dame Judi said she had been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition which affects sight.
What are Judi Dench’s career highlights?
Judi Dench made her professional debut in 1957 as Ophelia in Hamlet, quickly establishing herself as one of Britain’s finest stage actresses.
Throughout her career, she’s balanced classical theatre with film and TV success.
Her film breakthrough came later in life, earning widespread praise for roles in Mrs Brown (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Iris (2001), and Philomena (2013).
Judi Dench pictured at Elizabeth I in 1999.
Picture:
Getty
She famously played M, the head of MI6, in eight James Bond films from GoldenEye (1995) to Skyfall (2012).
Over her career, Dench has received eight Oscar nominations and won Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love.
She’s also been honoured with ten BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, and seven Olivier Awards, making her one of the most awarded British performers in history.
Over her career, Dench has received eight Oscar nominations and won Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love.
Picture:
Getty
In 1988, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to drama.
Is Judi Dench married and does she have children?
Judi Dench was married to actor Michael Williams from 1971 until his death in 2001. The couple shared a famously close bond and often worked together, notably in the TV sitcom A Fine Romance.
Judi Dench with daughter Finty Williams and husband Michael Williams in 1999.
Picture:
Getty
They had one daughter, Finty Williams, who is also an actress, and Dench is a proud grandmother to Finty’s son, Sam.
What is Judi Dench’s net worth?
Dame Judi Dench’s estimated net worth is around £30 million, built from her long and successful career across film, television, and theatre, as well as book projects and endorsements.
Read next: Who is James Bond? Odds on who the next 007 actor will be revealed
