Judi Dench

Dame Judi Dench is an English actress, born Judith Olivia Dench in York on 9 December 1934, and widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest performers. She made her professional debut with the Old Vic Company in 1957 and played Ophelia, Juliet and Lady Macbeth before winning acclaim as Sally Bowles in the 1968 musical Cabaret. Through the 1970s and 1980s she became a leading figure of British theatre with the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and a television favourite in the comedy series A Fine Romance and As Time Goes By. Her international fame came late, as M in GoldenEye in 1995, a part she played in eight James Bond films. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love, and was nominated for seven further Oscars, for films including Mrs Brown, Iris, Notes on a Scandal and Philomena. Her honours include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, six BAFTA film awards and seven Olivier Awards.