Judi Dench has rejected long-running rumors that she and Maggie Smith were feuding, saying the two remained Friends until Smith’s death in 2024. In her memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, Dench describes Smith as a valued companion with whom she shared a close relationship beyond their work together.
Dench praised Smith’s intelligence, wit and beauty, while saying she had no vanity. She also pushed back on speculation that the actresses clashed over theater hierarchy or the placement of their dressing rooms, saying she never minded where she was assigned.
The pair did have different habits, Dench noted. Smith preferred to sit quietly and read, while Dench liked a busy dressing room filled with conversation and activity. Dench said those differences meant they probably would not have enjoyed sharing a room, but did not indicate hostility between them.
Dench first met Smith in 1958 at London’s Old Vic. They later appeared together in films including A Room With a View, Tea With Mussolini and Ladies in Lavender, as well as the 2018 documentary Nothing Like a Dame.
Remembering Smith, Dench described her as a complex person and said her strongest memories were filled with joy and laughter. She also wrote that she still misses her friend, sometimes reaching for the phone to call her before remembering that Smith is gone.
Sources: E! News.