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JUDI DENCH HAS been presented with the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA) Lifetime Achievement Award in Dublin this evening.
The Oscar-winning actress received the award at a special ceremony at the Shelbourne Hotel, where she took part in a conversation with Deirdre O’Kane about her life and career in front of an audience of Irish Academy members and invited guests.
Dench was presented with her award by Arts Minister Catherine Martin.
Her career has spanned over six decades and has seen her play starring roles in stage, television and film productions. She is perhaps best known for playing M in the James Bond series.
In 1999, she won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. She has been nominated for a further seven Academy Awards, including for her performance in Kenneth Branagh’s 2021 semi-autobiographical drama Belfast.
She was also nominated for her portrayal of Mother and Baby Homes survivor and campaigner Philomena Lee in the 2013 film Philomena, which documented her 50-year search for her forcibly adopted son, Anthony.
Though Dench was born in York, the 88-year-old’s parents both grew up in Dublin. Her mother was born in Ireland and her father was born in the UK, but grew up in Dublin.
Speaking about her return to Dublin, Dench joked: “Most of my relations are here, probably in this room.”
Honoured to present the #IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award to Dame Judi Dench tonight
— Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) July 6, 2023
Her roles in #Belfast & #Philomena among many others on stage and screen have captivated audiences
Wonderful to hear her speak about her Irish heritage & how it informed her inspiring career pic.twitter.com/eVjpzs0bZ8
CEO of IFTA Aine Moriarty said: “We in the Irish Academy are so honoured to pay tribute to Judi Dench and to celebrate her extraordinary talent, work and career.
“Judi is a master of her craft; the breadth and variety of her work on stage and screen has solidified her as one of the most respected and iconic actors of her generation,” she said.
“We’re so proud to present her with this Irish Academy Lifetime Achievement Award here in Dublin, the city where her parents grew up”.
Dench’s Belfast co-star Ciaran Hinds congratulated her on the award this evening on behalf of the Irish Academy, saying: “We are thrilled not only that you’ve accepted it, but we feel very honoured to be able to offer it to you.”
Caitriona Balfe, who also starred in Belfast alongside Dench, added “Working with you has been one of the highlights of my career. I got to witness firsthand your kindness, your light, your incredible talent and, of course, your wicked sense of humour.
“From stage to television and film, you have inspired us, you have moved us and you are a true, true legend,” she said.
Previous recipients of the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Awards include Maureen O’Hara, Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan.
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A fine actress and a wonderful woman. Very well deserved.
@Andrew Kenny: fantastic lady
Wonderful human being & wonderful actress!
She’s a national treasure!
@mcleixlip:
yeah in england
There is simply nothing but good to say about this great lady of stage and screen.
I’m delighted. One of my favourite actresses no matter what she is in. Her warmth just shines. God bless her x
Loved her in James Bond
Very well deserved to a great and wonderful woman.
Dame Judi Dench has spoken out about her sadness at seeing her friends Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey shunned from the big screen.
June 2019
@GERARD KENNELLY: ““You cannot deny somebody a talent. You might as well never look at a Caravaggio painting [he was a murderer]. You might as well never have gone to see Noël Coward [accused of predatory behaviour].””
Her point was that the work they produced is now going to be tainted and not seen again.
But unsurprisingly, the nuance with which she was speaking (she condemned their behaviour, and certainly did not say they should be working again) has been deliberately ignored by you so as you can make your point.
A great actress.. But honestly this is nothing more than @rse kissing non sense
Interesting
Maybe it’s me but I always found her very annoying ,seen her being interviewed and seems very low iq type person with nothing interesting to say
@Martin Curtin: It might be you…
@Martin Curtin:
i reckon ‘Philomena’ would have been better with Brenda Fricker
She’s a west brit who laps up being claimed by the brits.
@dream catcher: She was born there! And so what if some people have an affinity with aspects of Britain. We’re more than happy for people to celebrate their Irish roots. There is so much in common between Ireland and the UK. Dreadful things were done in the past of course but unless we are going to take responsibility for every bad thing done under the Irish flag then it’s a bit much to expect powerless people born after the event to be castigated for things they didn’t do or agree with in the UK. So many wonderful people from the UK who are just as frustrated with the British establishment as many are elsewhere. And going by the amount of football, comedy, drama and music we love from the UK, I’d say most of us are a bit ‘West Brit’!
@SerotoninWars: Judi Dench ceased being Irish and became a west brit when she accepted an OBE. The exact same goes for Harry Kane.
@dream catcher:
Ah huh
have your say