Dame Judi Dench remains one of Britain's most iconic thespians, thanks to her roles in the James Bond franchise, Shakespeare in Love and Philomena, as well as a highly decorated stage career.
The actress, now aged 91, made her screen debut back in 1959, when she starred as Hilda Lessways in the series of the same name. Other early TV roles include The Cherry Orchard, Z-Cars, Jackanory and The Troubleshooters. Judi appeared in several major TV series like classic sitcoms A Fine Romance and As Time Goes By, as well as The Hollow Crown.
© Alamy Stock PhotoJudi made her film debut in the thriller film The Third Secret, appearing as Miss Humphries. Other early roles include A Midsummer Night's Dream, Luther and 84 Charing Cross Road. In 1995, she secured the role that would make her a household name, as she started appearing as M in the James Bond franchise. She continued in the role until 2012's Skyfall.
Other major career highlights for the actress include Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat, Pride & Prejudice, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films, Philomena, Murder on the Orient Express and Belfast. She has been nominated for an Academy Award eight times, winning it once for Shakespeare in Love.
The actress has also won 10 BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, seven Olivier Awards, two SAG Awards and a Tony Award. However, her proudest achievement is her daughter, Finty Williams, who she shared with her famous husband, Michael Williams. Here's all you need to know…
© WireImageJudi's daughter Finty Williams
Born on 24 September 1972, Finty is Judi's only child, and like her famous mum, she has entered the world of showbusiness. Although she was born as Tara, Finty uses the nickname bestowed upon her by her late father as her professional name, as well as using it in her personal life.
Finty made her professional debut in 1992's The Torch, however, the role that she is most known for will bring back childhood memories for many. The star provided several voices for children's TV show Angelina Ballerina, including the title character, while Judi also appeared in the show as Angelina's ballet teacher, the Russian-accented Miss Lilly.
This wasn't the only time that Judi and Finty acted together, as the pair also appeared together in 1997's Mrs Brown. Finty was in the film as Lady Henrietta Phipps, while Judi took on the role of Queen Victoria. The film also starred iconic comedian Billy Connolly, who played John Brown, while Gerard Butler also appeared as Archie Brown.
Speaking to the Telegraph in 2014, Finty revealed that the pair are close, often spending weekends together in Reigate, where Judi was living. However, she also opened up on the pressure of having such a famous mum, thanks to some of Judi's iconic roles as Shakespeare's characters onstage.
She confessed to the publication: "There are certain parts I'd love to do, such as Lady Macbeth or Cleopatra, but I'd probably be too frightened as I'd be concerned about people saying I didn't do them as well as my mother. It's a hiding to nothing, being compared to her. Mum is at the top of her game; she's in the top one per cent of actresses. To compare her to someone who is 37 years younger and happens to do the same job is ridiculous."
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyJudi's famous husband
Judi was married to the late actor Michael Williams, with the pair meeting thanks to their respective stage careers, including Pack of Lies. The play toured in 1971, the same year that Michael and Judi married, with the couple welcoming their daughter a year later.
Michael is also known for voicing Dr Watson in the radio adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes novels, and he also appeared in Educating Rita, Henry V, Charlie Chalk and Conjugal Rites. Michael and Judi appeared together on-screen in several projects, including Dead Cert and A Fine Romance, the latter of which saw the duo as a married couple.
Michael sadly died at the age of 65 in 2001 following a lung cancer diagnosis. The day before he passed away, the late actor was appointed as a Knight of St Gregory by Pope John Paul II for his contribution to Catholic life in the UK.
Speaking about her father's last day, Finty told the Catholic Association of Performing Arts Christmas celebration in 2019: "We were all in his bedroom and we'd organised a party for him. He was actually very sick. So we had the party downstairs. As I had a very small child at the time, we had baby speakers so I turned them round so people downstairs could hear the service that was going on in his bedroom…
"I got a letter from the Macmillan nurse about three months later, saying 'we've now actually adopted that idea for other patients so they can talk to their grandchildren'."
© Alamy Stock PhotoJudi's famous brother
Judi isn't the only famous member of her family from her generation, as her older brother, Jeffery (far-left) was also an actor. Jeffery mostly appeared onstage, touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company in productions of Hamlet, Twelfth Night and The Tempest.
He had a limited screen presence, appearing as an elder in the 1995 film First Knight, while also having roles in TV series such as The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby, Rumpole of the Bailey and The Brittas Empire.
Michael died at the age of 85 on 25 March 2014. One of his daughters, Emma, is a noted historian, while his grandson, Oliver, continues the family's screen legacy, starring as Lucian Ainsworth in Hotel Portofino.
