CLASS ACT: 'I LOVE WORKING - I GET VERY BORED WITH MY OWN COMPANY'

ACTRESS DAME JUDI DENCH CELEBRATES A MEMORABLE 65 YEARS IN SHOWBUSINESS

- MARC BAKER

She may be acting royalty thanks to numerous starring roles in films, plays and TV shows. But just ask Dame Judi Dench which movie is her favourite and there's one big problem - she has hardly watched any of them.

Although she recently bagged an Oscar nomination for her part in Kenneth Branagh's award-winning movie Belfast, Judi, 87, says she never looks back on her film work due to her of the cinema.

"I am not very good at seeing films as I get claustrophobia in the cinema," explains Judi, in conversation with Gyles Brandreth on-stage at phobia London's Gielgud Theatre.

While she's earned herself a damehood, 65 years experience in showbiz and a legion of fans for her appearances in blockbuster films such as the James Bond franchise, Shakespeare In Love and Philomena, Judi's true passion lies in treading the boards.

"The very reason I like the theatre and don't like filming is because you can't get it better," she continues. "It is like, 'There it is, you have done it, it is there forever and you can't do anything about it."

Despite the multiple accolades she's been awarded over the years, Judi admits she can be a bit tardy at picking them up - especially at the Oscars where she once almost got barred from the famous Los Angeles ceremony.

"I did once get locked out of the Oscars as we were late," she says. "They said, 'Sorry we are closing now,' as we were left between two doors. Charlize Theron arrived and I said, 'I have to be in there,' and that's how we got in. And then we sat in the wrong seats." Although she is one of the world's most famous faces, Judi confesses she always gets star-struck when bumping into A-listers on the red carpet.