CommanderBond.net
  1. Dame Judi Dench Is 'M' In 'Quantum of Solace'

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-11-14

    DAME JUDI DENCH IS ‘M’
    Discussing QUANTUM OF SOLACE With The Head of MI6

    Dame Judi Dench is 'M'

    Dame Judi Dench is ‘M’

    Judi Dench reprises her role as the M, the Head of MI6 and James Bond’s boss. “It is terrific to be back, just wonderful! Working with Marc [Forster] has been absolutely delightful. He knows exactly what he wants and when you get your call sheet, there is also a list of shots, I have never had that ever, it’s phenomenal. That kind of discipline is wonderful to work with.”

    Dench first appeared as 007’s boss in GoldenEye when Pierce Brosnan debuted in the role. Quantum of Solace is her second outing with Daniel Craig playing role of Bond and comments on working with him. “Daniel is more relaxed now although he seems to have an unending amount of energy for the role. He is a terrific Bond, just terrific. The most wonderful thing is to be open minded so that something could surprise you or delight you or excite you. To tell a story is our business and this is a cracking story to tell.”


    'Quantum of Solace' Press Conference

    Dame Judi Dench, Daniel Craig and Marc Forster at the Quantum of Solace Press Conference

    Although famous throughout the world for starring in feature films, Dench considers the theatre to be her home. “Theatre is where I am most comfortable, I’ve been working 51 years in the theatre and I love it. I actually came really late to films, I had done very few before Mrs. Brown. It was Mrs. Brown that changed everything and suddenly I went back to America after a lapse of 38 years. People asked ‘apart from Mrs Brown and M, have you done anything else?’ and I suddenly thought the whole of my classical repertoire had disappeared, shot down in flames, nobody had heard about it! I’m not sure my fan base has jumped, but my name as gone to a load of new chaps like my grandsons and, sometimes, their fathers. What I hope is that young people will come to the theatre, my job is to woo people to the theatre because people go to movies anyway. I just love a theatre audience and if they see you in Bond, then they might be persuaded to come and see something else.”

    That said, Dench always enjoys coming back to play the character of M. “I do enjoy it, it is just irresistible! [In Quantum of Solace] you get to find out a little more about M, you certainly did in Casino Royale and even more so in this, especially the development of her relationship and interaction with Bond. It’s interesting how she deals with him and how he deals with her. She is not very sure about Bond, not too sure she can totally trust him.

    “Also, MI6 has gone rather up market. All I have to tell you is, I don’t think our government has enough money to change the real MI6 into my MI6, I don’t think they will be able to manage it. It is phenomenal, we don’t do telephones anymore!”

    Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest Quantum of Solace news and information.