Judi Dench Opened Up About A Rare Health Condition That’s Completely Changing Her Life
At 86, Judi Dench is doing remarkably well for her age. But in 2021 the award-winning actress opened up about the rare and incurable condition she’s secretly been grappling with. She may have been able to hide it on the outside, but appearances can be so deceiving. And when you hear the details of what she’s going through, you may be shocked at how long she's been able to keep it together.
Backstage dreams
Dench’s career did not actually start off with Hollywood stardom in mind – she didn’t even envision herself on the stage! In a 2020 chat with actor David Tennant on his eponymous podcast, the seasoned actress said that she “trained as a theater designer” before deciding on her career in the spotlight.
Landing a part
Even then, Dench said, her dreams revolved around acting on stage – not on screen. She said, “I only ever wanted to do Shakespeare and be in the theater... There’s no substitute for theater.” And soon after graduating from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Dench made her visions into a reality by landing a huge part right off the bat.
Panned
Dench nabbed the part of Ophelia in the Old Vic Company’s rendition of Hamlet – a huge get for an ingenue like her. Ophelia was and is one of the most iconic female characters in Shakespeare’s cannon. Dench said that she “got off to a cracking start,” but the press didn’t quite agree. They apparently chided the National Theatre for casting “somebody who is just out of drama school.”
A new look
As a then-22-year-old fledgling actress, Dench understandably took the reviews to heart. So, she cut off her long locks into the short hairstyle we still know today. And Dench also kept acting – albeit in smaller on-stage roles. Those in the star’s circle could see her potential, so she started to believe in it, too.
