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Actress Dame Judi Dench has opened up about her feelings of grief following the death of her close friend and fellow actress Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away last week. During an interview at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Dench was asked by actor Brendan O’Hea about various aspects of her career, including how she copes with grief, a topic that has become immensely significant to Dench in recent times. O’Hea also mentioned the death of Dench’s husband, fellow actor Michael Williams, and asked her how she once compared grief to petrol.
Dench responded with a nod to the energy that is created by grief, before trailing off in sadness. Smith was known for her sharp tongue both on and off screen, with a career that spanned eight decades. Her career highlights included Oscar wins for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and California Suite, as well as numerous other nominations and awards. She was highly respected in both the theatre and film industries, and starred alongside Dench in a number of productions.
The two women had been close friends for many years, and their acting careers had taken similar paths over the past decades. They appeared together in numerous productions, including 2015’s The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a comedy-drama that was a sequel to the 2011 film. In 2018 they appeared in the documentary Nothing Like a Dame, which saw them reminiscing playfully about their life and careers.
Dench has previously discussed the cathartic process of performing during times of grief, explaining in an earlier interview that “Sometimes you have to do a play and it is really painful. That said, I’ve also found it unbelievably cathartic. You fortify yourself and use what you are going through as energy. Like petrol. It has helped me cope with the pain.” During the interview with O’Hea, Dench talked about planting trees in memory of her loved ones who have passed away.
Following Smith’s passing, numerous tributes have been paid to the beloved actress from both within and outside of the entertainment industry. Daniel Radcliffe, who starred alongside her in the Harry Potter films, described her as a “fierce intellect, [who] had a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny.” Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer praised Smith’s great talent, describing her as “beloved by so many.
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