It was a family affair as Dame Judi Dench was joined by her daughter, actress Finty Williams and grandson Sam, in the ballroom at Claridge’s for a sparkling event billed as ‘An Evening With Dame Judi Dench’.
Taking to the stage alongside the trio were Dame Joanna Lumley and award-winning star of stage and screen Simon Callow, who along with Dame Judi treated the audience to mesmerising performances from Dickens and Shakespeare.
But it was Dame Judi’s role as MI5 boss M in several Bond movies that the acting legend’s 26-year-old grandson Sam described as "amazing".
When asked by his mum, 51-year-old Finty, what it was like having a Bond woman for a grandmother, the TikTok star, who has filmed reels with Judi, replied: “It’s been pretty cool. I’d go into school and everyone would say, ‘Your grandmother is awesome, I’ve seen her in a Bond film’.
"One day she said, 'I’m turning up to your school unannounced'. She’s got a BMW Z4 so I told everyone that you press a button and missiles come out. It’s been insane, and so much fun."
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Asked to name her favourite Bond film, Dame Judi, who played M in movies such as Casino Royale, Goldeneye and Skyfall, replied: "Almost anything with Sean Connery. I did particularly think he was wonderful. He was a fave.”
Recalling her late husband Michael’s reaction when she was first offered the part of M, the audience erupted in laughter when she told Finty: “Your father said, ‘You can’t possibly turn it down, I want to live with a Bond woman’.
"I have a wonderful memory of being in the first film (Goldeneye) with Piers Brosnan which was his first one too. He and I were very frightened, and I said to Fin, you must come out one day with me just to be there. Fin came out, Piers walked through the door and she practically keeled over.”
"It took me seven years to be able to say ‘hello’ to him," said Finty with a smile. “I lost the ability to speak. When we went to the premiere and the music started, my father burst into tears,” she added. “And continued to cry throughout the whole evening. And at the party at the Imperial War Museum, he cried at that too.”
But there was laughter from the captivated audience when Finty then said, “This is a terrible thing to admit. We’ve been to quite a few of the premieres and come away with things that say Bond on them – glasses, jackets, and a cushion!”
The event, which raised £40,000 for the Lymphoedema Research Fund at St George’s Hospital Charity, was hosted by esteemed author and photographer Gemma Levine - who photographed the late Diana, Princess of Wales - to create awareness and funds for this chronic condition of the lymphatic system which affects millions of people worldwide, including 85-year-old Gemma.
When Dame Joanna took to the stage, she paid tribute to Gemma’s tireless work in ‘opening the doors’ to talk about the condition. “Well done, bravissima, and thank you!” she said.
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