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Dame Judi Dench, an acclaimed actress with numerous awards including an Academy Award and multiple Golden Globes, expresses her dislike for being called a "national treasure," saying it makes her feel like a "dusty old relic." In an interview with The Times, she also recounts facing rejection early in her career from a Hollywood producer who said she lacked the looks to be a movie star. Despite battling age-related macular degeneration since 2012, which affects her vision and memory of text patterns, Dench continues to act and aims to work until she passes away or reaches extreme old age.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Dame Judi Dench, a seven-decade veteran of Hollywood and British theater with numerous accolades including an Academy Award, Tony Award, and multiple BAFTA and Olivier Awards, expressed her disdain for being referred to as a "national treasure." In an interview with The Times, she stated that the term makes her feel like "a dusty old relic" stored away in a cupboard. Despite her successful film career, Dench recalled a discouraging early encounter with a Hollywood producer who dismissed her chances of success due to her appearance. She countered his critique by focusing on theater acting instead, where she achieved significant acclaim.
Written for “Dame Judi Dench Interview Quotes” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 70523 · logged 2026-10-10
Dame Judi Dench admits she ‘loathes’ being called a ‘national treasure’
asserted
she → admit → ?
Throughout her career – which has spanned seven decades – she has won an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, four British Academy Television Awards, six British Academy Film Awards, and seven Olivier Awards.
But despite her decades-long acclaimed career, Dame Judi has now said she cannot stand being labelled a “national treasure”.
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she → span → career
Makes me sound like a dusty old relic that’s been stuffed away in the back of the cupboard, along with some dinosaur fossils and a broken Roman shield,” she told The Times.
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she → make → Times
Despite having a string of film hits under her belt, Dame Judi also recalled how she was once told early in her career by a Hollywood film producer that she would “never make a movie because you have every single thing wrong with your face”.
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you → have → face
“I suppose that was the era when you had to be quite a looker.
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you → suppose → ?
Anyway, with amazing presence I said ‘Thank you very much for your time’, stood up, put the chair back against the wall and, as I left, I thought, what a relief.
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I → say → wall
I can throw all my energies into becoming a theatre actor,” she said.
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she → throw → energies
The actress also detailed her desire to continue to work after being diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012.
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actress → detail → 2012
AMD is an eye disease that does not cause total blindness, but it can make things such as reading and recognising faces difficult, according to the NHS.
Dame Judi said she was “quite good at acting as if I can see”, but that people thought she was “cutting them dead when I don’t smile or recognise them”.
Read More
uncertain
I → cause → More
Explaining how it affected her ability to work, she added: “I’ve had to find a different method of learning lines because even with the script blown up, I struggle.
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I → explain → lines
“It’s made me realise I have a photographic memory and so not being able to see the pattern of words on the page makes things really difficult.
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things → make → page
Friends now help and, provided I’m given enough time in advance to prepare, I can somehow muddle through.”
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I → help → advance
The actress added that although she was regularly asked when she was going to retire, she wanted to “banish” the word.
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she → add → word
“I want to be like Newton Blick, who died in his dressing room after a performance.
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who → want → performance
I want to be one of those women who throw themselves out of planes when they’re 100,” she said.
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she → want → planes
Earlier this year it was announced The Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End would be renamed to honour Dame Judi.
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Theatre → announce → Judi
In February next year the largest independent theatre in the West End will be renamed the Judi Dench Theatre.
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theatre → rename → End
At the time of the announcement in June, she said: “The Shaftesbury Theatre has always held a special place in my heart.
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Theatre → say → heart
My relationship to the Theatre of Comedy and to the Taffner family goes back many years and to have this beautiful theatre renamed after me is truly overwhelming.
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theatre → go → me
“Live theatre continues to be so important as a way of telling stories and entertaining audiences, something I have aimed to do all my working life.”
asserted
I → continue → audiences
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