English File 4thE – Elementary – Video Listening – 12C … — Transcript

A detailed look at Judi Dench's nearly 60-year acting career, highlighting her theater roots, iconic film roles, and Oscar wins.

Key Takeaways

Judi Dench's career spans nearly six decades across theater, television, and film.
Her early life was deeply connected to theater through family and local traditions.
She successfully transitioned from stage to screen, gaining international recognition.
Dench's portrayal of M in James Bond films broke gender norms and was highly praised.
Her Oscar-winning performance in Shakespeare in Love highlights her exceptional talent.

Summary

Judi Dench is part of a golden generation of British actors with long, successful careers.
Born in York in 1934, Dench had early connections to the Theatre Royal through her parents.
She acted in the York Mystery Plays as a teenager, a tradition dating back to the 14th century.
In the 1950s and 1960s, she performed with major British theatre companies like the Old Vic and Royal Shakespeare Company.
Dench continued theater and TV work through the 1970s and 1980s, including a notable Macbeth with Ian McKellen.
She appeared in British films such as A Room with a View (1985) and Henry V (1989).
Her career shifted in the 1990s with roles in GoldenEye as M and Mrs Brown as Queen Victoria, earning an Oscar nomination.
She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love (1998) despite only 8 minutes on screen.
Dench played M in eight James Bond films, working with both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
Her performances are widely regarded as brilliant and influential in British acting.

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[Music] Judi Dench is one of a golden generation of British actors who have had long and successful careers, including Maggie Smith, Vanessa Redgrave, Ian McKellen, Michael Caine, and Anthony Hopkins. She has acted in the theater, on television, and in films.

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In a career of nearly 60 years, Judith Olivia Dench was born on the 9th of December 1934 in York in the north of England. [Music] Dench's father was a doctor, but she had connections from a very early age to the

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Theatre Royal in York. Her father was the theatre's doctor, and her mother made costumes for the theater. As a teenager, Judi Dench acted in the York Mystery Plays. These religious plays have been performed in York every four years since the 14th century.

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In the late 1950s and 1960s, she acted with Britain's most important theatre companies: the Old Vic, the Royal Court, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In the 1970s and 1980s, Dench continued to work in the theatre and on British television.

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In 1978, she acted in Shakespeare's Macbeth with the actor Ian McKellen, both in the theater and on film. Many people think it was one of the best ever performances of the play. [Music] She also appeared in British films like

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A Room with a View in 1985 and Henry V in 1989. In the 1990s, her career changed with two films. The first of these was the James Bond film GoldenEye, where Dench played Bond's boss, M. Normally, apart from a man,

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Dench was a great success in the part. She was hard and at the same time funny. She played the part in eight films with both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig as James Bond. The second film that changed her career

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was Mrs Brown in 1997. Dench played Queen Victoria. This small British film was a great success, and she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress. In 1998, she played Queen Elizabeth the First in the comedy Shakespeare in Love.

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The film was another big hit. It won the 1999 Oscar for Best Film, and Judi Dench won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She's only in the film for eight minutes, but as ever, she's absolutely brilliant.

Topics:Judi DenchBritish actorstheaterfilmJames BondOscar winnerShakespeare in LoveGoldenEyeMrs Brownacting career

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where was Judi Dench born?

Judi Dench was born on December 9, 1934, in York, in the north of England.

What was Judi Dench's connection to the Theatre Royal in York?

Her father was the theatre's doctor and her mother made costumes, giving her early exposure to theater.

Which James Bond films did Judi Dench appear in and what role did she play?

Judi Dench played Bond's boss, M, in eight James Bond films alongside Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

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