Why Judi Dench hates “national treasure” tag

There’s nothing Dame Judi Dench hates more than being called a ‘national treasure’, but why? We spoke to the national tre… we mean popular actress, while she was promoting her new film, the superb new drama ‘Philomena’.

“I hate it!” She said.

“[National treasure] sounds too put in a cupboard. There’s something much too musty and dusty about it. I don’t like that.

“It’s like people saying ‘When are you going to retire?’ Retire is a very rude word in our house.”

[Dench felt "spoiled" by Bond role]

Dench also played down how important playing M in the Bond films was in helping her achieve such iconic status.
 
“The role of ‘M’ didn’t give me national treasure status! It gave me status with young men of about 11 to about 15. All my grandsons. And maybe they’ll come to the theatre. That would be wonderful. I do everything to get people into the theatre!”
 
In ‘Philomena’, Dench plays the title character; a woman searching for the son she gave up with the help of Steve Coogan’s investigative journalist.

Watch the duo talk about how the story came together, and why Dench is funnier than Coogan, below. The film is in cinemas now.