Dame Judi Dench was reportedly reduced to tears when asked about the recent death of her close friend of many decades, Dame Maggie Smith.
Dame Maggie died aged 89 on September after an illustrious career, which saw her act alongside Dame Judi several times.
Bond star Dame Judi, 89, was appearing onstage for a special talk alongside Brendan O’Hea at Cheltenham Literature Festival on Saturday, to discuss her new book and career, when the topic was broached.
It was reported she was in high spirits throughout the chat – which included fun anecdotes and performances of Shakespeare speeches – until a question about grief in relation to her recent losses was raised.
O’Hea asked her what she meant by comparing her grief around late husband Michael Williams’ death in 2001 to petrol.
‘I know I probably shouldn’t bring this up, I know the last week has been tricky for you because you lost your great friends Maggie Smith and Barbara Leigh-Hunt,’ O’Hea began, according to event sponsor The Times.
Leigh-Hunt, who had appeared alongside Dame Judi in her BBC sitcom As Time Goes By, also died in September, aged 88.
‘I suppose because the energy that’s created by grief…’ Dame Judi began her answer, before stopping as she became overwhelmed by tears.
She and the late Dame Maggie had enjoyed a friendship that began in the 1950s on the London theatre scene at the Old Vic.
They worked together multiple times on the stage and screen, including in films A Room With A View, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Ladies in Lavender and Tea with Mussolini.
A delightful appearance from the duo also come in 2018 documentary Nothing Like a Dame, alongside fellow dames Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright.
Two-time Oscar winner Dame Maggie enjoyed countless iconic roles in her career in films as diverse as The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Death on the Nile and Sister Act, before she inspired a whole new generation of fans as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.
After this, she played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in ITV’s smash-hit drama Downton Abbey for six series and two spin-off films – the project that she revealed had the most impact on her life.
Alongside multiple co-stars who mourned her loss, both the King and Queen and the prime minister paid tribute to Dame Maggie as ‘a national treasure’.
Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, shared the news of her death in a statement, which read: ‘It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.
‘An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.’
It added: ‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
‘We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.’
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