Screen legend Judi Dench to get honorary award in Spain

World
Europe

British screen legend Judi Dench will receive a lifetime achievement award at Spain's famous San Sebastian film festival, organizers said Tuesday.

The 83-year-old actress who won an Oscar in 1999 for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in "Shakespeare in Love" will get the Donostia Award on Sept. 25.

Dench, a veteran star of the stage and screen, made her cinema debut in 1964 and has worked with directors as varied as Stephen Frears, Kenneth Branagh, Clint Eastwood and Sam Mendes.

Judi Dench talks with the host on NBC's TV show "Today", Sept. 15, 2017. /VCG Photo

Her subtle portrayal of complex characters such as Queen Victoria in "Mrs. Brown" or author Iris Murdoch in "Iris" have earned her critical acclaim.

A seven-time Oscar nominee and the recipient of several BAFTA awards, Dench is perhaps best known worldwide for playing M, the head of MI6, in the James Bond films.

It will be her first visit to the film festival in the Basque Country, where her new film "Red Joan," directed by Trevor Nunn, will be screened.

Dame Judi Dench and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall enjoy an ice cream at the beach during a visit to the Isle of Wight on July 24, 2018 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. /VCG Photo

In the film, which is inspired by a true story, she plays a tranquil retiree who is suddenly arrested by MI5 and exposed as a long-standing KGB spy.

She will join US actor Danny de Vito and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose film "Shoplifters" won the Palme d'Or in this year's Cannes Film Festival, in receiving the Donostia Award.

Past recipients include Gregory Peck, Robert De Niro, Bette Davis, Susan Sarandon and Meryl Streep.

(Cover photo: Judi Dench on NBC's TV show "Today", Sept. 15, 2017. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP