“It’s fascinating to me that this is Judi’s first cover, at the age of 85, when she is such a megastar,” says Vogue contributing editor Kate Phelan. “But in her day, ‘when she was young and beautiful’, as she likes to say – though of course, she is still absolutely breathtaking – actresses weren’t Vogue cover stars. They weren’t really given celebrity status until they were ‘ancient’, as she would put it.” While styling the queen of stage and screen for the cover shoot, “I was very aware that I was in the presence of someone who had experienced some truly incredible things, and lived life to the full,” notes Phelan.
“[The shoot] meant an awful lot to her,” says Dench’s daughter, Finty Williams. “This age thing, I think, affects very much how she feels about herself and this gave her just that little boost of confidence to make her go, ‘Oh, maybe I’m still OK.’ Then of course after the photoshoot, she came back literally thinking she was Beyoncé.”
Dench – who had “Carpe diem” inscribed on her wrist (her first tattoo) on her 81st birthday – has been refreshingly open about her feelings towards ageing. “I don’t like it at all,” she tells Vogue features director Giles Hattersley in the June issue. “I don’t think about it. I don’t want to think about it. They say age is an attitude… it’s horrible.”
Dench calls upon the poet Dylan Thomas to sum up her thoughts on retirement. “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” she booms. “Never was a truer word spoken.” Although she can no longer enjoy needlepoint and letter writing due to her ailing eyesight, scripts continue to pour in, and Dench’s phone rings constantly, as friends of all generations rely on her wit and well-publicised mischievous streak as personal tonics. “If people are hurting, they call her,” notes her grandson Sam. “But I think [ageing] gets her down a lot… There were lots of things that she used to be able to do that she can’t do anymore.”
Dench – who always seems to have a twinkle in those milky blue eyes – says she will “just about” be able to see her first Vogue cover in all its glory. The landmark moment will be meaningful to many besides Judi herself. “It’s wonderful that Judi embraces her age, even though she grumbles about growing old,” explains Phelan. “She hasn’t gone out of her way to change her wrinkles. Her beautiful character really shines through. That’s an important message for women today. We shouldn’t be so terrified of age. We need to focus instead on living a life that is full and rich.”
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