# Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? by Judi Dench review – whatever you do, don’t call her a ‘national treasure’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/is-it-too-late-to-make-a-run-for-it-by-judi-dench-review-whatever-you-do-dont-call-her-a-national-treasure/
- Published: 2026-10-28T09:00:03+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T09:52:58+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/oct/28/is-it-too-late-to-make-a-run-for-it-by-judi-dench-review-whatever-you-do-dont-call-her-a-national-treasure
- Topics: Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Film, Geopolitics, Politics

## Key points

- Dench’s memoir reflects on her career and love of acting.
- She dislikes being labelled a “national treasure”.
- At 91, she has no plans to retire.

## Summary

Judi Dench’s new memoir, *Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?*, looks back on a long acting career through conversations with her friend Brendan O’Hea. It presents her as sharp-witted and still passionate about performing, while explaining why she dislikes being called a “national treasure”: the phrase makes her sound like a dusty old relic.

The book ranges across theatre, film, faith, animals and comedy, rather than following a clear timeline. Dench recalls a Hollywood producer telling her she would never make films because of her face, her later success as M in the Bond films and her Oscar for *Shakespeare in Love*, as well as pranks and eccentric personal stories. Now 91 and with poor eyesight, she says she has no intention of retiring.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.