She is widely regarded as the queen of British actresses – and has indeed won an Academy Award for playing a queen – and last week, Dame Judi Dench followed in the footsteps of royalty by having her image immortalised in a sculpture to mark her 90th birthday.
HELLO! was there for the special occasion, joining Judi's daughter Finty Williams, actor Simon Callow and composer Sir Karl Jenkins as 200 friends and family watched the sitting at Claridge's hotel in London.
Her likeness was captured by Lady Petchey, Frances Segelman, known as the "royal sculptor" after immortalising subjects such as the King and Queen, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Princess Royal and the Duchess of Edinburgh.
In this exclusive interview, Dame Judi tells HELLO! about her experience. “It was wonderful. Frances was so sweet and so fast. I felt six feet tall – and no one looking at the bust would know that I’m not six feet tall,” she laughs.
Posing for Frances, who describes Dame Judi's features as "elfin-like", the actress' signature high cheekbones and ever-youthful appearance belie her actual age – she turns 91 in December.
"Did Frances say 'elfin-like'?" she asks, evidently flattered. "I'm going to hang on to that.
"I don’t feel as young, though, now that I can't see,” continues the star, who is losing her sight. "I couldn’t see the clay or anybody."
Health at 90
Dame Judi, whose seven-decade career has included roles as Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love and MI5 boss M in eight James Bond films, revealed in 2012 that she had been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.
Now, she tells us, she is close to losing her sight completely. "I don’t know how far I am from not being able to see at all, but it''s not far away. That's very irritating," she says.
However, she reveals that a method acquired during her career is helping to hide her sight loss. "If you're an actress, you can act that you can see. I've had to act all my life, so I can act that I can see.
You end up cutting a lot of people dead, then you go up to complete strangers, give them the most enormous hug and say: 'I'm so sorry I haven't seen you for so long.'"
With characteristic humour, she adds: "My hearing is going, too. Goodness knows what I nod and say 'yes' to. It's quite exciting, actually."
Positive vibes
"My mantra is to look at the positives. It's easier to live by than to let the minuses overwhelm you."
Her words of wisdom to her younger self are, she says: "Always be optimistic, always look for the pluses. Mikey [her late husband Michael Williams] and me would do that, and then when Finty was born, it became our mantra.
"Now we tell my grandson Sammy: 'Look for the pluses' – it's better than the alternative."
Surprises
Dame Judi's cheerful outlook was boosted further by a series of birthday surprises throughout the evening. She and her guests were transported not only by the music of composer Sir Karl, but by her friend Simon's recitation of Christina Rossetti's poem A Birthday.
Soprano Katerina Mina, in a vibrant pink gown, raised the energy in the room even higher with a breathtaking rendition of Happy Birthday.
And guests welled up with emotion – none more so than Dame Judi – as her daughter Finty, 52, spoke of how she and her mother, and Finty's son Sammy, now 27, would always tell one another: "I love you to the moon and back."
© Anthony Harvey"She didn't tell me she was doing this," says Dame Judi, visibly moved by the unexpected tribute. "Oh my word, what a surprise and wonderful present. Sammy had the book of that name when he was little, and we've always used it – it's a password between the three of us."
Speaking with pride of her grandson, a TikTok star, she says: "He goes off and films things and is very professional about it. Does he film me? No; I'd be too rude to him," she laughs.
"He came down to me at the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdowns and we were filming a dance, but he kept saying: 'No, it's not right yet.' He's very bossy – and quite right!"
Judi's sculpture
Last week’s sitting was organised by Dame Judi's friend, author and former photographer Gemma Levine, who captured famous faces including Diana, Princess of Wales.
The occasion raised awareness and, organisers hope, as much as £40,000 for the Lymphoedema Research Fund at St George's Hospital Charity.
Lymphoedema, which causes swelling in the body’s tissues, affects millions of people worldwide, including Gemma, who was forced to hang up her camera after being diagnosed with cancer and then lymphoedema 16 years ago.
Although one of the busts created on the night will be auctioned for the charity, the other will be given to Dame Judi as a gift. "I plan to find a lovely place for it in my house," she smiles.
For the full interview, pick up a copy of this week’s HELLO!, on sale now.
