News | Entertainment
3 Jul 2025 6:09
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Dame Judi Dench hates being called a "national treasure"

    The 'Skyfall' star doesn't want the coveted title and instead wants to be a "rebel", according to her co-star Eddie Izzard


    Speaking in a virtual Q&A, Eddie said: "The term 'national treasure' gets laid at her doorstep and she doesn’t want it. She wants to be a rebel. She’s in touch with the 16 year-old girl in her. She wants to live life, work, and she’s a fighter. She doesn’t use the Dame title, she likes a chocolate Hobnob, and a glass of Champagne, and she’s going to keep living life."

    Meanwhile, Judi previously confessed she "loathes" being a national treasure as she feels it sounds like "something very, very dusty, behind a glass" and she feels "pressure" to be a certain way because of the title.

    She said: "No, no, no. I loathe that word ... It's something very, very dusty, behind a glass, in a corner. I don't want to be a relic ... You know, you just get on with life, don't you? And hope that the job you've chosen to do you do as well as you can. That's all you worry about. And be kind to people That's what's so wonderful about this lockdown ... is people's amazing kindness. The general public are very, very kind. And to each other ... I hate to play parts that are expected ... I want to play somebody who you think is a benign old lady sitting in a chair, and in actual fact is bumping people off. I'm looking for a lot of villains to play."

    The 'Cats' star started her career as a stage actress and never thought she'd move onto films.

    She added: "I never wanted to make a film at all, ever, and was told I wouldn't because I had the wrong kind of face to make films ... That was when I was at The Vic. I only ever wanted to do Shakespeare and be in the theatre. That's all, except that I trained as a theatre designer before that. That's what I originally wanted to be.

    "I think there's no substitute for the theatre. When you've done a film, that's it. You can't change it. Then you go to see it and you're irritated intensely about the fact of the buttons that you chose to push to do that part. And you think 'Oh, what a chance missed.' ... But in the theatre, you can go on until you get it right, sometimes, if you're lucky."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     03 Jul: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorney claims that allegations against the rapper have been "badly exaggerated"
     02 Jul: Sir Rod Stewart came close to cancelling his Glastonbury performance
     02 Jul: Teddy Swims has become a dad
     02 Jul: Charlize Theron is on the celebrity dating app Raya - but it hasn't helped her to find love
     02 Jul: The Comeback has been renewed for a third season
     02 Jul: Jeremy Allen White has felt the "pressure" of playing Bruce Springsteen in Deliver Me From Nowhere
     02 Jul: Ryan Reynolds doesn't pay attention to his online critics
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    The Maori All Blacks are making some strategic adjustments as they prepare to host Scotland in Whangarei on Saturday More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Prices for top-end butter are through the roof, with little recourse for shoppers More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorney claims that allegations against the rapper have been "badly exaggerated" 6:06

    Law and Order:
    Investigations - into the discovery of a newborn baby's body in a wheelie bin in central Auckland - continue 5:57

    Environment:
    Parts of the country are waking up to the second bout of heavy rain in a week 5:37

    Law and Order:
    Police have charged 12 more people - over a large dangerous boy racer meet in Levin, over King's Birthday weekend 21:57

    Entertainment:
    Sir Rod Stewart came close to cancelling his Glastonbury performance 21:36

    Rugby:
    The Maori All Blacks are making some strategic adjustments as they prepare to host Scotland in Whangarei on Saturday 21:17

    International:
    Dalai Lama confirms his tradition will continue, ending doubts he could be the last 21:07

    Entertainment:
    Teddy Swims has become a dad 21:06

    Entertainment:
    Charlize Theron is on the celebrity dating app Raya - but it hasn't helped her to find love 20:36

    Entertainment:
    The Comeback has been renewed for a third season 20:06


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd