Dame Judi Dench has done pretty well for herself in an acting career that has lasted over half a century. For her film acting alone, Dench has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning one for her supporting performance in 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love.” She also earned nine Golden Globe noms for her film work (including a win for 1997’s “Mrs. Brown”) and three for her TV work, including a win for 2000’s “The Last of the Blonde Bombshells.” She has also received 13 nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award, winning twice (for “Shakespeare in Love” and 2000’s “Chocolat”). And if that wasn’t enough, she won a 1999 Tony Award for her performance in “Amy’s View.”
Let’s take a photo gallery tour of her 12 greatest films, ranked from worst to best. It includes the movies mentioned above, plus “Notes on a Scandal,” “Philomena,” “Iris” and more.
Let’s take a photo gallery tour of her 12 greatest films, ranked from worst to best. It includes the movies mentioned above, plus “Notes on a Scandal,” “Philomena,” “Iris” and more.
- 12/1/2023
- by Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Olympia Dukakis, a character actress best known for her Oscar-winning supporting turn in Norman Jewison’s “Moonstruck” and for her role as the wealthy widow in “Steel Magnolias,” has died. She was 89.
Dukakis’ brother, Apollo Dukakis, confirmed her death to Variety. Apollo Dukakis announced her death in a Facebook post, writing: “My beloved sister, Olympia Dukakis, passed away this morning in New York City. After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis.”
The actress was 56 when she came to prominence overnight thanks to her Oscar-winning turn in “Moonstruck,” the 1987 film in which she played, with an extraordinary comic ethnic gusto characteristic of the movie as a whole, the mother of Cher’s character. The Washington Post singled out Dukakis for praise: Cher and Nicolas Cage are “backed by an equally quirky cast of marvelous supporting players — especially Olympia Dukakis, whose role as Loretta...
Dukakis’ brother, Apollo Dukakis, confirmed her death to Variety. Apollo Dukakis announced her death in a Facebook post, writing: “My beloved sister, Olympia Dukakis, passed away this morning in New York City. After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis.”
The actress was 56 when she came to prominence overnight thanks to her Oscar-winning turn in “Moonstruck,” the 1987 film in which she played, with an extraordinary comic ethnic gusto characteristic of the movie as a whole, the mother of Cher’s character. The Washington Post singled out Dukakis for praise: Cher and Nicolas Cage are “backed by an equally quirky cast of marvelous supporting players — especially Olympia Dukakis, whose role as Loretta...
- 5/1/2021
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Sir Ian Holm, an Oscar nominee for Chariots of Fire and the star of the Lord of the Rings film franchise, died on Friday morning after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 88.
“He died peacefully in the hospital” in the company of his family and caregiver, his agent said in a statement. “Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely.”
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“He died peacefully in the hospital” in the company of his family and caregiver, his agent said in a statement. “Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely.”
More from TVLineThe Politician Finale Recap: Season 2 Ends on Another Game-Changing TwistSuperstore Star, Ep Look Ahead to an America Ferrera-less Season 6: Will a New Cloud 9 Hire Replace Amy?Grey's Anatomy: Burning Questions That Season...
- 6/19/2020
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Ian Holm, the Oscar-nominated British actor best known for playing Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, died Friday at age 88.
“It is with great sadness we can confirm that the actor Sir Ian Holm Cbe passed away this morning at the age of 88,” the actor’s rep said in a statement. “He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer. His illness was Parkinson’s related.”
In addition to his work in the J.R.R. Tolkien-related films, Holm earned an Oscar nomination for playing Olympic running trainer Sam Mussabini in 1981’s “Chariots of Fire.” He also played science officer Ash in 1979’s “Alien,” Father Vito Cornelius in 1997’s “The Fifth Element” and voiced Chef Skinner in 2007’s “Ratatouille.”
Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2020 (Photos)
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Holm got his start in theater,...
“It is with great sadness we can confirm that the actor Sir Ian Holm Cbe passed away this morning at the age of 88,” the actor’s rep said in a statement. “He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer. His illness was Parkinson’s related.”
In addition to his work in the J.R.R. Tolkien-related films, Holm earned an Oscar nomination for playing Olympic running trainer Sam Mussabini in 1981’s “Chariots of Fire.” He also played science officer Ash in 1979’s “Alien,” Father Vito Cornelius in 1997’s “The Fifth Element” and voiced Chef Skinner in 2007’s “Ratatouille.”
Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2020 (Photos)
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Holm got his start in theater,...
- 6/19/2020
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
In this fall’s delightful documentary, “Tea With the Dames,” Dame Judi Dench, who celebrates her 84th birthday on December 9, 2018, recalls being asked to play Cleopatra in London’s National Theatre production of Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra.” Her response: “Are you sure you want a menopausal dwarf to play this part?”
Well, this menopausal dwarf has done pretty well for herself in an acting career that has lasted over half a century. For her film acting alone, Dench has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning one for her supporting performance in 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love.” She also earned nine Golden Globe noms for her film work (including a win for 1997’s “Mrs. Brown”) and three for her TV work, including a win for 2000’s “The Last of the Blonde Bombshells.” She has also received 13 nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award, winning twice (for “Shakespeare in Love” and...
Well, this menopausal dwarf has done pretty well for herself in an acting career that has lasted over half a century. For her film acting alone, Dench has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning one for her supporting performance in 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love.” She also earned nine Golden Globe noms for her film work (including a win for 1997’s “Mrs. Brown”) and three for her TV work, including a win for 2000’s “The Last of the Blonde Bombshells.” She has also received 13 nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award, winning twice (for “Shakespeare in Love” and...
- 12/9/2018
- by Tom O'Brien and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Good things come to those who wait. For Judi Dench that good thing would be movie stardom. She's been acting on stage since 1957 (as Ophelia in Hamlet at the age of 23), on tv since 1959 (the title role in Hilda Lessways), and on the silver screen since 1964 (The Third Secret)... but it wasn't until 1997/1998 when Dench hit her sixties that true movie stardom happened, prompted by the double whammy of her first Oscar bid (Mrs Brown) and its follow up "oops sorry about last year" Oscar win for Shakespeare in Love (recently discussed). Isn't her career trajectory unheard of? Who doesn't even start being a movie star until their sixties? Dame Judi thats who.
Though she may soon retire (she's turning 80 a year from now) she's still in her movie prime. Her latest starring role is as Philomena, the story of a woman seeking the grown son she gave up for adoption,...
Though she may soon retire (she's turning 80 a year from now) she's still in her movie prime. Her latest starring role is as Philomena, the story of a woman seeking the grown son she gave up for adoption,...
- 11/22/2013
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
'The worst thing anyone's said to me? That I was selfish... but it was true'
Romola Garai, 30, was born in Hong Kong. She dropped out of university to appear in the TV film The Last Of The Blonde Bombshells, and went on to star in the 2003 film I Capture The Castle and 2004's Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. More recently, she appeared in Atonement and One Day. She was Bafta-nominated for her role in the BBC's The Crimson Petal And The White and played Bel in The Hour. A campaigner for women's rights, she supports the International Rescue Committee's Wake Up campaign. She is expecting a baby with the actor Sam Hoare.
When were you happiest?
In the orange blossom-filled streets of Seville, snogging on a park bench.
What is your greatest fear?
A The Road-style apocalypse.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
S, who sees the good...
Romola Garai, 30, was born in Hong Kong. She dropped out of university to appear in the TV film The Last Of The Blonde Bombshells, and went on to star in the 2003 film I Capture The Castle and 2004's Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. More recently, she appeared in Atonement and One Day. She was Bafta-nominated for her role in the BBC's The Crimson Petal And The White and played Bel in The Hour. A campaigner for women's rights, she supports the International Rescue Committee's Wake Up campaign. She is expecting a baby with the actor Sam Hoare.
When were you happiest?
In the orange blossom-filled streets of Seville, snogging on a park bench.
What is your greatest fear?
A The Road-style apocalypse.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
S, who sees the good...
- 2/2/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Filed under: Features
It's been said that blondes have more fun. For years -- millennia -- blond hair has been a signifier of something special, otherworldly and seductive. Venus was graced with flowing blond curls, Milton gave Adam and Eve golden tresses, and fairy tale maidens like Goldilocks and Rapunzel were adored for their flaxen hair.
In the 20th century, the blonde fervor increased. Anita Loos published her 1925 novel 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (later turned into the classic '50s film), and after the brown tendrils of cinema's great silent actresses, the '30s dropped a tantalizing bomb. Blondie Jean Harlow starred as sexpot Lola Burns in 'Bombshell,' becoming the first 'blonde bombshell' and ushering in a wave of tow-headed cinematic seductresses from Jayne Mansfield to Marilyn Monroe. For years, the double-b's reigned, though a new millennium and a Judi Dench film attempted to end the reign...
It's been said that blondes have more fun. For years -- millennia -- blond hair has been a signifier of something special, otherworldly and seductive. Venus was graced with flowing blond curls, Milton gave Adam and Eve golden tresses, and fairy tale maidens like Goldilocks and Rapunzel were adored for their flaxen hair.
In the 20th century, the blonde fervor increased. Anita Loos published her 1925 novel 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (later turned into the classic '50s film), and after the brown tendrils of cinema's great silent actresses, the '30s dropped a tantalizing bomb. Blondie Jean Harlow starred as sexpot Lola Burns in 'Bombshell,' becoming the first 'blonde bombshell' and ushering in a wave of tow-headed cinematic seductresses from Jayne Mansfield to Marilyn Monroe. For years, the double-b's reigned, though a new millennium and a Judi Dench film attempted to end the reign...
- 4/7/2011
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Moviefone
Playwright and author of TV dramas including The Beiderbecke Affair and Fortunes of War
Alan Plater, whose TV credits in a writing career spanning 50 years included The Beiderbecke Affair, Fortunes of War and the screenplay for A Very British Coup, has died, his agent confirmed to the BBC today.
Plater, 75, wrote novels and for film and theatre, but will be best remembered for a profilic body of television drama spanning six decades, starting with TV play The Referees for BBC North in 1961.
His final TV drama, Joe Maddison's War, starring Kevin Whately and Robson Green and set on the eve of the second world war in the north-east, where Plater was born, is currently in post-production for ITV.
Plater was born in Jarrow in 1935 and moved with his family as a young child to Hull, where he grew up.
He studied architecture at Newcastle University and worked for a short...
Alan Plater, whose TV credits in a writing career spanning 50 years included The Beiderbecke Affair, Fortunes of War and the screenplay for A Very British Coup, has died, his agent confirmed to the BBC today.
Plater, 75, wrote novels and for film and theatre, but will be best remembered for a profilic body of television drama spanning six decades, starting with TV play The Referees for BBC North in 1961.
His final TV drama, Joe Maddison's War, starring Kevin Whately and Robson Green and set on the eve of the second world war in the north-east, where Plater was born, is currently in post-production for ITV.
Plater was born in Jarrow in 1935 and moved with his family as a young child to Hull, where he grew up.
He studied architecture at Newcastle University and worked for a short...
- 6/25/2010
- by Jason Deans
- The Guardian - Film News
British screenwriter Alan Plater died on Friday after a battle with cancer. He was 75.
Plater's agent tells the BBC he had been "very robust" until he was checked into a London hospice for his last week of life.
His career spanned six decades, during which time he wrote numerous works for the stage and screen as well as six novels.
Plater received a BAFTA award for writing in 2005 and he accepted a lifetime achievement honour from the Writers' Guild of Great Britain in 2007.
Among the full-length dramas he wrote was 2000 movie The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, which starred Dame Judi Dench in the lead role.
His final screenplay was World War II drama Joe Maddison's War, which will air on U.K. TV later this year.
Plater's agent tells the BBC he had been "very robust" until he was checked into a London hospice for his last week of life.
His career spanned six decades, during which time he wrote numerous works for the stage and screen as well as six novels.
Plater received a BAFTA award for writing in 2005 and he accepted a lifetime achievement honour from the Writers' Guild of Great Britain in 2007.
Among the full-length dramas he wrote was 2000 movie The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, which starred Dame Judi Dench in the lead role.
His final screenplay was World War II drama Joe Maddison's War, which will air on U.K. TV later this year.
- 6/25/2010
- WENN
Dame Judi Dench can't put down her saxophone - after learning how to play it for new TV movie Last of the Blonde Bombshells, The (2000) (TV). The OSCAR-winning actress admits she was petrified when she first took on the role of widow Elizabeth in the BBC/HBO co-production - and discovered she'd actually have to learn to play. She says, "A sax is very heavy for one thing and takes some getting used to. I had a marvellous tutor, Cathy Stobart, and suddenly the instrument seems a part of you. "It feels like an extension of your arm. I'm now at the stage where I know all the fingering and can even play a scale on it." Dench, who teams up with Olympia Dukakis, Ian Holm, jazz star Cleo Laine and French actress Leslie Caron in the movie, says she's now hooked. She adds, "I pick it up and play for a few minutes here and there. I would like to go on playing it. I'm mad for it."...
- 8/23/2000
- WENN
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