From the moment Judi Dench appeared as a teenager in the York Mystery Plays it was clear that acting would be her career, and it was her performance in Franco Zeffirelli's Old Vic production of Romeo and Juliet that turned her into a star. Judi first became a household name on television in A Fine Romance, in which she played alongside Michael Williams, whom she married in 1971. She has since made nine series of As Time Goes By, as well as plays and classic serials such as Cranford. Her many films include Ladies in Lavender, Notes on a Scandal, Mrs Brown, The Shipping News and Shakespeare in Love, in which she played Queen Elizabeth, a role which gained her an Oscar. But it is her role as 'M' in six James Bond films that has gained her worldwide recognition. This book is, however, much more than a career record. Judi Dench's marriage, (Michael Williams died in 2001), their daughter, and her impish sense of humour contribute vividly to her account of more than half a century as Britain's bestloved actress.