Judi Dench has dismissed rumors that she and longtime friend Maggie Smith clashed over dressing-room arrangements, while sharing how much she continues to miss the late actress. Dench reflects on their friendship in her new memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, released Tuesday, November 3. The book is written as a series of conversations with actor and director Brendan O’Hea.
In an excerpt published by Entertainment Weekly, O’Hea asked Dench about stories of actors arguing over dressing rooms and raised Smith’s name. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Dench replied. She said the two probably would not have shared a dressing room, but because they had different habits: Smith liked to sit quietly and read, while Dench enjoyed having people come and go.
The actresses first met at London’s Old Vic theater in 1958, and their friendship lasted more than six decades. They appeared together in several projects, including A Room with a View, Tea with Mussolini, Ladies in Lavender and the 2018 documentary Nothing Like a Dame.
Smith died on September 27, 2024, aged 89. Dench remembers her as private and complicated, but says her strongest memories are filled with laughter. She also praises Smith’s intelligence, sharp wit, humor and beauty, and recalls that her friend was not vain about her appearance.
Dench says she still sometimes reaches for the phone intending to call Smith, before remembering that she is gone. “God, I miss her,” she said.
Sources: Just Jared.