Dame Judi Dench ‘bursts into tears’ when asked about death of friend Maggie Smith

Dame Judi Dench was reportedly reduced to tears erstwhile asked astir the recent decease of her adjacent friend of galore decades, Dame Maggie Smith.

Dame Maggie died aged 89 connected September aft an illustrious career, which saw her enactment alongside Dame Judi respective times.

Bond prima Dame Judi, 89, was appearing onstage for a peculiar speech alongside Brendan O’Hea astatine Cheltenham Literature Festival connected Saturday, to sermon her caller publication and career, erstwhile the taxable was broached.

It was reported she was successful precocious spirits passim the chat – which included amusive anecdotes and performances of Shakespeare speeches – until a question astir grief successful narration to her caller losses was raised.

O’Hea asked her what she meant by comparing her grief around precocious hubby Michael Williams’ death successful 2001 to petrol.

‘I cognize I astir apt shouldn’t bring this up, I cognize the past week has been tricky for you due to the fact that you mislaid your large friends Maggie Smith and Barbara Leigh-Hunt,’ O’Hea began, according to lawsuit sponsor The Times.

Leigh-Hunt, who had appeared alongside Dame Judi successful her BBC sitcom As Time Goes By, besides died successful September, aged 88.

‘I accidental due to the fact that the vigor that’s created by grief…’ Dame Judi began her answer, earlier stopping arsenic she became overwhelmed by tears.

She and the precocious Dame Maggie had enjoyed a relationship that began successful the 1950s connected the London theatre country astatine the Old Vic.

They worked unneurotic aggregate times connected the signifier and screen, including successful films A Room With A View, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Ladies successful Lavender and Tea with Mussolini.

A delightful quality from the duo besides travel successful 2018 documentary Nothing Like a Dame, alongside chap dames Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright.

Two-time Oscar victor Dame Maggie enjoyed countless iconic roles successful her vocation successful films arsenic divers arsenic The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Death connected the Nile and Sister Act, earlier she inspired a full caller procreation of fans arsenic Professor Minerva McGonagall successful the Harry Potter films.

After this, she played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, successful ITV’s smash-hit play Downton Abbey for six bid and 2 spin-off films – the task that she revealed had the astir interaction connected her life.

Alongside aggregate co-stars who mourned her loss, some the King and Queen and the premier curate paid tribute to Dame Maggie arsenic ‘a nationalist treasure’.

Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, shared the quality of her decease successful a statement, which read: ‘It is with large sadness we person to denote the decease of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed distant peacefully successful infirmary aboriginal this morning, Friday 27th September.

‘An intensely backstage person, she was with friends and household astatine the end. She leaves 2 sons and 5 loving grandchildren who are devastated by the nonaccomplishment of their bonzer parent and grandmother.’

It added: ‘We would similar to instrumentality this accidental to convey the fantastic unit astatine the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their attraction and unstinting kindness during her last days.

‘We convey you for each your benignant messages and enactment and inquire that you respect our privateness astatine this time.’

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