Dame Judi Dench says 'Tomorrow Never Dies' was her most challenging Bond film and that she 'loathes' being called a 'national treasure'

From the Newshound archive · first published 10 October 2026.

Dame Judi Dench, 91, has revealed in an extract from her upcoming memoir 'Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It?' that she found 'Tomorrow Never Dies' the most challenging of her seven Bond films, admitting the experience was "destabilising". Dench joined the franchise in 1995's 'GoldenEye' as the first woman to play M, going on to appear in eight films including 'Skyfall', where M took centre stage.

Dench said her enjoyment of each film "tended to depend on the script" and the director, adding she "adored" working with Martin Campbell and Michael Apted.

She loved playing M because "it was great to be able to tell all those men where to get off", she writes in the memoir extract.

The veteran actor also admitted she "loathes" being described as a national treasure.