Judi Dench School, a Quaker independent secondary school in York, and became a Quaker. Her brothers, one of whom was actor Jeffery Dench, were born in Tyldesley, Lancashire. Her niece, Emma Dench, is a historian of ancient Rome and professor previously at Birkbeck, University of London, and currently at Harvard University. In Britain, Dench has developed a reputation as one of the greatest actresses of the post-war period, primarily through her work in theatre, which has been her forte throughout her career. She has more than once been named number one in polls for Britain's best actor. Through her parents, Dench had
Judi Dench having her interact with Bond more. The project gathered generally mixed reviews by critics, who mainly felt that "Quantum of Solace" was not as impressive as the predecessor "Casino Royale", but became another hit for the franchise with a worldwide gross of US$591 million. For her performance, Dench was nominated for a Saturn Award the following year. Dench returned to the West End in mid-2009, playing Madame de Montreuil in Yukio Mishima's play "Madame de Sade", directed by Michael Grandage as part of the Donmar season at Wyndham's Theatre. The same year, she appeared in Sally Potter's experimental film "Rage",