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academy fellowship
there ain’t nothing like this dame
The world of film and television turns out for the award of a BAFTA Fellowship to Dame Judi Dench
Way back then, the omens weren’t too promising for the aspiring young actress born Judith Olivia Dench. Her first review read: “Stepped out into the limelight, tripped over her advance publicity and fell flat on her pretty face.”
To add rather contrary insult to critical injury, a film producer, giv- ing the 23-year-old the once-over at a long-ago audition, remarked, unhelpfully, “you have every sin- gle thing wrong with your face.”
Six BAFTA awards and an Oscar - not to mention countless stage prizes – later, the York-born star of theatre, film and television across five decades has most assuredly had the last laugh.
And it was her laughter, infec- tious to co-stars all, which was per- haps most readily recalled along with her extraordinary talent at a special BAFTA Tribute held at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on December 9. Highlights from the evening, which climaxed in the award of a BAFTA Fellowship to Dame Judi, 67, were shown a month later on BBC 1.
Her fellow actors were on hand in abundance either live or on- screen to sing praises and, in some cases, add delicious anecdotes all under the wry eye of the evening’s ever-droll host, Stephen Fry, not to mention the faintly-embarrassed gaze of the new Fellow.
Via the tube came Cher, Ken Branagh, Kate Winslet – “You never feel she’s acting” - Simon Callow, Sir Ian McKellen – “She can play anything, but she’s always Judi” - Juliette Binoche, Colin Firth and Kevin Spacey, who stars opposite her in The Shipping News. From Spacey were the twin revelations, “she’s not a bad pool player... and she cheats at ping-pong!”
On stage there were contribu- tions by Richard Briers, Joseph Fiennes, Pierce Brosnan – James Bond to Dame Judi’s stern M since they both signed on for 007 duty with Goldeneye – Richard E Grant, Geoffrey Palmer and Dame Maggie Smith.
Some genuine light relief was first provided by the irrepressible Billy Connolly, resplendent with purple moustache and goatee, who gleefully spilled stories of Mrs Brown hilarity.
But later, it was a wickedly funny, tongue-in-cheek comic riff by her Iris co-star Jim Broadbent which genuinely stopped the show. He painted a vivid picture of “Judi Dench, the one the pub- lic doesn’t see... well over six feet tall and massively built”, boasting “a strong Birmingham-Russian accent which in real life is almost impenetrable.” And, of course, her undetectable “prosthetic limb.” Then, during production of
Iris, there were those “marathon vodka-fuelled arm wrestling ses- sions” with director Richard Eyre...
Dame Judi flanked in the stalls by Connolly and daughter, Finty Williams, was, unlike Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown, extremely amused.
When she wasn’t amused she was, on her own admission, “ner- vous” and it’s getting worse by the momemt as she gets older, she told the audience.
“Tonight must be like a night of torture”, remarked Dame Maggie about her long-time friend and fellow Fellow who is known not to enjoy watching her- self on screen. But the screen also provided touching reminders of her late husband and A Fine Romance co-star Michael Williams who died last year.
Much was made of how long it took for Hollywood and the movies to come calling. Stranger still when you consider that Dame Judi’s first- ever BAFTA award was way back in 1966 for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (for Four In The Morning).
It would be almost another 20 years before she returned to the big-screen – and has barely stopped since with credits like Wetherby, 84 Charing Cross Road, Mrs Brown, Shakespeare In Love, Tea With Mussolini, Chocolat and Iris as well as the The Shipping News,
The Importance Of Being Earnest
and, of course, the new Bond, as- yet-untitled spectacular. She has been no less prolific on TV, last year winning BAFTA Best Actress for The Last Of The Blonde Bombshells.
Reviewing the expertly edited television version of this Tribute, the Guardian critic wrote, “Obviously it didn’t reveal whether Dame J threw hissy fits at wardrobe assistants, but it was a delightful confection none the less. There is something terribly comforting in admiring a National Treasure. Bless.” And so say all of us. Quentin Falk
Photos by Sylvaine Poitau:
1. Just look at her now: a genuinely appreciative Dame Judi Dench enjoys the moment
2. Pierce Brosnan makes a very Bond-like entrance
3. Sharing a laugh with Bill Patterson 4. Presenters and co-stars all (clock- wise from top left): Stephen Fry, Richard E. Grant, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer, Jim Broadbent, Pierce Brosnan, Richard Briers,
Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Richard Attenborough, Joseph Fiennes
5. A fond word with Sir John Mills
6. Jeremy Irons looking dapper for the tribute
7. Incomparable compere Stephen Fry sparks a smile
8. The colourfully bearded and ebul- lient Billy Connolly with Dame Maggie Smith.
9. Joe Fiennes and friend
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