Happy Birthday Judi Dench!

Today Dame Judi Dench,  Pride & Prejudice 2005's very own Lady Catherine celebrates her 77th birthday. Born Judith Olivia Dench, December 9, 1934 in York, North Yorkshire, England, UK.

Happy Birthday Judi Dench!!!

Academy Award Winner (for Best Supporting Actress in Shakespeare in Love) Miss Dench is one of the busiest English actresses around and has done countless of films (ie. Bond Films, As Time Goes By tv series, Mrs. Henderson Presents with P&P co-star Kelly Reilly, Shakespeare In Love, Ladies In Lavender, and many other made for TV movies and feature films...too many to list here, just check out her IMDB filmography) throughout her very long acting career, but to us P&P movie fans, she will always be known as the proud and domineering Lady Catherine (aunt of Mr. Darcy and patroness of Mr. Collins), even in her small role and brief scenes in the P&P 05 film, her presence and appearance was unmissable and important to the story. In my opinion, Judi Dench played the best Lady Catherine (from 3-4 P&P adaptations I've seen so far...) as she really transformed to that mean and scary woman you love to hate, lol.

Check out Judi Dench as Lady Catherine screen captures as well as quotes from her, her character Lady Catherine, and director Joe Wright as well as two P&P video clips from the movie featuring her below...


Director Joe Wright did a great job in casting her and I love how he cast her in the film and what he wrote to her, lol..
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According to JW's DVD commentary:
"I wrote her a letter saying 'I love it when you play a bitch, please come and play a bitch for me.' And she succumbed (referring to Judi Dench)"

Stills of Judi Dench in Pride & Prejudice as Lady Catherine

Judi Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourgh

"Come, Miss Bennet and play for us, for music is my delight. In fact, there are a few people in England who have more true enjoyment of music than myself, or better natural taste. If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient." (Lady Catherine)

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"Lady Catherine is unspeakable - autocratic, suspicious and pretty tricky. She wants Darcy to marry her own daughter, and won't take any trouble from anyone else." (Judi Dench)

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"On our first day of filming, we shot a dining room table scene, which any director will tell you is tough, and with Dame Judi Dench at the head of the table - on the first day of my first feature - terrifying. But she is a professional and a genuinely nice person, so it was a joy to watch her play such a difficult woman." (Joe Wright)

~*~

"On my next film, I played Lady Catherine in Pride & Prejudice. Barbara Leigh-Hunt, who played the same role in previous production was brilliant. I ring her up and said, I was going to copy her. But I ended up playing [Lady Catherine] different. Joe Wright directed it..." (Judi Dench)

(Note: Not exact quote ^, but close enough...on that last quote, Judy Dench mentioned P&P movie and playing Lady Catherine on her "And Furthermore" book)

 

 (source: movieclips)

 (source: movieclips)

Here's JD's 2011-2013 Film Projects (via IMDB):

• Better Living Through Chemistry (pre-production) 2013 
• Skyfall (filming) M 2012
• Run for Your Wife (post-production) Bag Lady Cameo 2011
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (filming) Evelyn 2012
• J. Edgar Anna Marie Hoover (2011)
• Friend Request Pending (short) Mary  2011
• My Week with Marilyn (post-production) Dame Sybil Thorndike 2011 
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (post-production) 2011 
• Jane Eyre (completed) Mrs. Fairfax 2011 
• James Bond Supports International Women's Day (short) M (voice) 2011