Judi dench talks to Gareth Lloyd Evans

Summary

gle: I've got an image of you - as an actress, that is - as a sort of loner. Although at the time of talking you are associated with the Royal Shakespeare Company, when I look back on your career I get the impression that you like to cut loose from time to time. I mean that you don't seem to like to be closely tied to any company style or ensemble for too long. Is this impression correct?

jd: Yes, it is correct. I think it doesn't evolve out of wanting specifically to be on my own - to be not connected with something. It doesn't really involve that. Very early on someone once said to my agent, 'Well we can't cast Judi in that, because that's a part for a leading lady and she's a soubrette.' I'm not going to be that. I've never wanted to be cast as one type of person. For instance I've lately read it twice that people have a rather serious image of me. They didn't use the word 'chilling' but they meant a rather serious, rather tragedienne person. Well that is so unlike me. I think things most probably happen most successfully in comedy, funnily enough. So, Gareth, it's not so much not wanting to be tied down to a company, it's rather not wanting to be tied down to an image. And so if anything like Cabaret and playing Sally Bowles came up, that was just like getting the most wonderful present, and everything else beside it appeared dross. Each time some kind of challenge like that comes up and somebody takes a gamble on me, then I want to do it.