Judi Dench admitted one co-star was so difficult they couldn’t look her in the eye.
Dame Judi, who is celebrating her 90th birthday on Monday (December 9), spoke out about the star as she looked back on her glittering career on stage and screen. Actress Judi has had an illustrious run in entertainment, with her career launching back in the mid-1950s.
Chatting with This Morning star Gyles Brandreth on his Rosebud podcast, the former James Bond legend said that she has worked with countless actors that have made her feel at home. However, one star was less than eager to see eye-to-eye with her as she reflected on the early days of her stardom.
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In the conversation with Gyles, Judi recalled working with heartthrob Lawrency Harvey during a production of Henry V at The Old Vic in 1958. The pair were commended for their honest and raw portrayal of the characters, but Judi revealed that behind the scenes, they were more at loggerheads than what people may have thought.
“Larry Harvey never looked into my face,” she explained. “Larry Harvey looked about a foot and a bit above my head all the time; he would never look at me, never.”
According to Judi, Lawrence was not happy that his co-star was short, insisting that the part of Catherine of Valois should have been played by a taller actress. This, while hurtful, had Judi determined to try a number of methods to get him to change his mind.
She joked how on several occasions she stretched her neck out to try and make genuine eye contact with him. However, despite her valiant attempts, she revealed: “It never worked.”
(Image: Mirrorpix)
The thespian first debuted in the theatre in the 1950s, and her love for Shakespearean acting came when she had seen her brother take on the challenge. She said: “I went to see Macbeth at St Peter’s with Peter, my oldest brother, playing Duncan; and he walked in and he said, ‘What bloody man is that?’ I thought, ‘This is for me’.”
Despite being known for her serious and dramatic roles, Judi also looked back fondly on her memories of landing parts in comedies. Midway through a rendition of Cuckoo in the Nest, she revealed she had to be taken home because she found the plot of the play so side-splitting.
(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)
“Folks were in bed, and then suddenly it opens, and he jumps up wearing what we call long johns. I laughed so much that I had to be taken home; I made myself ill laughing,” she recalled.
Once Judi was taken back home and regained her composure, her darling mum suggested that the sight of a man in his underwear was what triggered her to burst into laughter. She added that it would be less shocking the second time around and the pair would eventually see the play again two days later.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
