Seems as though it has merely been days since we were getting exhausted just hearing of Judi Dench’s daily  work schedule. She’s just back from India where she spent a month filming The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which is based on a book by Deborah Moggach, These Foolish Things. It follows a group of British retirees who decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India and also stars Dame Maggie Smith.

First up in 2011 will be Jane Eyre, out in February, with Mia Wasikowska in the lead role.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_yGxeufjI0

Having just turned 76 on Thursday, 9 December, Judi is also slated to return as M in the upcoming James Bond film, currently with the tantalizing title, Bond 23, at the moment. Principle filming is now set for Spring of 2011 with Daniel Craig returning in the title role of James Bond. She continues to lend her name and efforts to all kinds of worthwhile charitable events and initiatives along the way. Let’s not even discuss the part in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides or her portrayal of Dame Sybil Thorndike in My Week with Marilyn alongside Kenneth Branagh and Emma Watson. I’m tired now….

Given this amazingly tight schedule, it’s all the more special, personally, that she gave us 90 minutes of interview time this past summer when we filmed the upcoming Behind the Britcom: From Script to Screen for PBS broadcast in March 2011. It was during this interview that she revealed that of all the things she’s done in here professional life, doing As Time Goes By and A Fine Romance, both brilliantly written by Bob Larbey, was the single scariest thing she’s ever done. I initially had difficulty understanding this one, but having spent this past weekend with the hosts of the program Philip Bretherton (Alistair, As Time Goes By) and Moira Brooker (Judith, As Time Goes By) we gained some insight into their friend and co-star and I can now totally understand where she was coming from that afternoon in July.

Thank you, again, Dame Dench.