Judi Dench (b. 1934) is the most talented and popular living British actress. She studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama and has been a major star of the British stage since the 1950s, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and at the Old Vic Theatre.

Although her main work has been in the theatre, she has starred in numerous TV productions and in over 40 films. She is a five-time BAFTA winner, including Best Actress in a Comedy Series for A Fine Romance (1981) in which she appeared with her husband, Michael Williams, and Best Supporting Actress in both A Room with a View (1986) and A Handful of Dust (1988). She also received an ACE award for her performance in the A&E production of Mr. and Mrs. Edgehill (1985). Her 1999 Oscar was awarded for an 8 minute performance as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love (1998).

She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1970 and was created Dame of the British Empire in 1988. Her husband, the actor Michael Williams, died in January 2001. 

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