Claim: Judi Dench is an actor.

Dame Judith Olivia Dench -LRB- born 9 December 1934 -RRB- , known as Judi Dench , is an English actress and author . Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company . Over the following few years , she performed in several of Shakespeare 's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet , Juliet in Romeo and Juliet , and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth . Although most of her work during this period was in theatre , she also branched into film work and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer . She drew strong reviews for her leading role in the musical Cabaret in 1968 .   Over the next two decades , Dench established herself as one of the most significant British theatre performers , working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company . She achieved success in television during this period , in the series A Fine Romance from 1981 until 1984 , and in 1992 with a starring role in the romantic comedy series As Time Goes By . Her film appearances were infrequent and included supporting roles in major films such as A Room with a View -LRB- 1986 -RRB- supporting Maggie Smith , before she rose to international fame as M in GoldenEye -LRB- 1995 -RRB- , a role she continued to play in James Bond films until Skyfall -LRB- 2012 -RRB- .   A seven-time Oscar nominee , Dench won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love and has received nominations for her roles in Mrs Brown -LRB- 1997 -RRB- , Chocolat -LRB- 2000 -RRB- , Iris -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , Mrs Henderson Presents -LRB- 2005 -RRB- , Notes on a Scandal -LRB- 2006 -RRB- , and Philomena -LRB- 2013 -RRB- . She has also received many award nominations for her acting in theatre , film and television ; her competitive awards include six British Academy Film Awards , four BAFTA TV Awards , seven Olivier Awards , two Screen Actors Guild Awards , two Golden Globes , and a Tony Award . She has also received the BAFTA Fellowship -LRB- 2001 -RRB- and the Special Olivier Award -LRB- 2004 -RRB- . In June 2011 , she received a fellowship from the British Film Institute -LRB- BFI -RRB- . Dench is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts -LRB- FRSA -RRB- .