In her seven-decade career, Dame Judi Dench has played nearly every female character in William Shakespeare’s plays, from Juliet to Cleopatra. Dench and her late husband even used to refer to Shakespeare as “the man who pays the rent.” That’s also the title of her new book, written with her friend Brendan O’Hea. First on .
Dame Judi Dench has played everyone from the writer Iris Murdoch to M in the James Bond films. But among the roles the actress is most closely associated, are Shakespeare's heroines and some of his villians. Amongst those roles are the star-crossed lover Juliet, the comical Titania and the tragic Lady Macbeth. Now she's reflecting on that work, and Shakespeare's work in Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent.The book is comprised of Dench's conversations with her friend, the actor and director Brendan O'Hea.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
In "Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent," the acclaimed actress shares conversations with friend and actor Brendan O'Hea about the unique relationship she has with the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon.