Today Dame Judi Dench, P&P 05's very own Lady Catherine celebrates her 76th birthday. Born Judith Olivia Dench, December 9, 1934 in York, North Yorkshire, England, UK. Happy Birthday Judi Dench!!!
Academy Award Winner (for Best Supporting Actress in Shakespeare in Love) Miss Dench is one of the busiest English actresses around and has done countless of films (ie. Bond Films, As Time Goes By tv series, Mrs. Henderson Presents with P&P co-star Kelly Reilly, Shakespeare In Love, Ladies In Lavender, and many other made for TV movies and feature films...too many to list here, just check out her IMDB filmography) throughout her very long acting career, but to us P&P movie fans, she will always be known as the proud and domineering Lady Catherine (aunt of Mr. Darcy and patroness of Mr. Collins), even in her small role and brief scenes in the P&P 05 film, her presence and appearance was unmissable and important to the story. In my opinion, Judi Dench played the best Lady Catherine (from 3-4 P&P adaptations I've seen so far...) as she really transformed to that mean and scary woman you love to hate.
Director Joe Wright did a great job in casting her and I love how he cast her in the film and what he wrote to her, lol...
According to JW's DVD commentary:
"I wrote her a letter saying 'I love it when you play a bitch, please come and play a bitch for me.' And she succumbed (referring to Judi Dench)"
Stills of Judi Dench in Pride & Prejudice as Lady Catherine
Here's JD's 2010/2012 Film Projects (via IMDB):
- Bond 23 (pre-production) M 2012
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (filming) 2011
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (post-production) 2011
- My Week with Marilyn (post-production) Dame Sybil Thorndike 2011
- Jane Eyre (completed) Mrs. Fairfax 2011
- GoldenEye 007 (Video Game) M (voice) 2010
- James Bond 007: Blood Stone (Video Game) M (voice) 2010
