Judi Dench Addresses Rumors About Maggie Smith and Dressing Rooms

Judi Dench has used her new memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, to address and dismiss rumors of a falling out with her longtime friend and fellow acting icon Maggie Smith, who passed away at age 89 in September 2024.

In the book, actor and director Brendan O’Hea engages in a back-and-forth conversation with Dench, asking her about reports of actors feuding over dressing room assignments. O'Hea notes that such rumors typically stem from concerns over hierarchy and status within a theater company.

Dench, 91, denies ever having any such conflict with Smith. However, the Oscar winner acknowledges that she has heard of other performers arguing over who should occupy the primary dressing rooms.

Recalling theatrical antics, Dench shares an anecdote about a frustrated producer. The individual reportedly grew so tired of company members squabbling over the Number 1 spot that they simply placed a number one on every single dressing room door in the building, questioning why performers would worry about room assignments instead of the play itself.

While Dench and Smith never feuded, the memoir clarifies that the two veteran actresses would not have been ideal dressing room roommates due to their contrasting backstage habits. Dench explains that she personally grows miserable when left by herself in a room.

Dench fondly recalls how Nicholas Meredith, her co-star from a 1960 Old Vic production of Romeo and Juliet, used to visit her space to keep her company. She prefers the hustle and bustle of visitors coming and going, accompanied by background hubbub, chat, and the tannoy turned up to full volume.

In contrast, Dench notes that Smith preferred a much quieter environment. According to Dench, Smith would rather sit quietly in a corner reading a book than participate in a busy communal dressing room.

Dench and Smith shared the screen in numerous acclaimed feature films over the decades, including A Room with a View, Tea with Mussolini, Ladies in Lavender, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Away from the cameras, Dench maintains a deeply affectionate perspective on their enduring friendship.

Within the pages of her book, Dench describes the Harry Potter and Downton Abbey star as a deeply complex and intensely private person who could occasionally appear quite lonely. Dench observes that Smith would occasionally erect an electric fence around herself.

At the same time, Dench paints a portrait of a brilliant colleague characterized by a ferocious intelligence and an acerbic wit. She notes that Smith could pivot instantly from howling with laughter and sending herself up to feeling completely discombobulated by grief.

Reflecting on the loss of her longtime peer, Dench expresses how deeply she misses her friend. She shares that she occasionally reaches for the phone to give Smith a call just to hear her voice, only to remember that she is no longer there.