Arguably one of the biggest cultural icons of our time, Dame Judi Dench has received many accolades for her decades-spanning career. She’s a ten-time BAFTA award winner, twice Golden Globe winner, seven-time Academy Award nominee, and has also bagged a Tony Award in her time. Her contribution to the world of acting has even earned her prestigious recognition from Queen Elizabeth II herself, who named her a Dame in 1988. But all the glitter and glamour doesn’t mean Dench is immune to heartbreak; In 2001, she lost the love of her life, actor Michael Williams, after a bout with lung cancer.
Dench has an ever-lasting love affair with the theater – so it’s no surprise she met her first husband in one. The two first laid eyes upon one another in 1962, when Dench was 28 years old. At the time, the actress was cast as the female front in Shakespear’s “Romeo and Juliet” at the Old Vid theater. She and her co-actors celebrated opening night at a local pub, where Dench met Williams. Williams was also celebrating his own opening night, having starred in the play “Celebration.”
The young actors instantly had a spark and started a relationship, but wouldn’t marry until nine years later. In an interview with Vogue, Dench revealed he actually had to propose to her twice.
