Judi Dench: ‘Once you have one tattoo you want a lot more’

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As long as Her Mightiness Betty White and Dame Judi Dench are on this planet, there’s still hope. Should they actually appear in something together, I think we could reverse all the horribleness of the last two years and start over. Okay, maybe not, but it would be a marvelous two hours, wouldn’t it? If you do need a Dame Judi fix, she is currently starring in Victoria & Abdul in which she plays Queen Victoria once again. Earlier this month, she let us know the best place to buy naughty knickers. Now she discussing a burgeoning tattoo addiction. For her 81st birthday, Dame Judi’s daughter, Finty, surprised her with a tattoo. She told Good Housekeeping in 2015 that Finty has been trying to get her to get one for some time. And now that Dame Judi has one, she’s itching to add to her collection.

At the Toronto International Film Festival Judi Dench opened up about playing Queen Victoria in the upcoming movie Victoria & Abdul and on getting her first and only tattoo at 81 — or at least the only tattoo she’ll confirm that she has.

Victoria & Abdul is a movie about Queen Victoria’s real-life friendship with her younger Indian servant.  It’s also the second time Dench has played the monarch — the first was in 1997’s Mrs. Brown.

Dench also discussed the tattoo she got on her 81st birthday in 2016 and how she’s had to compensate for that while filming.

“Only since I’ve had it done have I done things where I’ve had long sleeves. But I know Dan Day Lewis has got tattoos all up both arms. Well, they’ve had to deal with that. So I guess this small one can be dealt with,” she said.

“I know people that say it’s a very infectious thing to do,” she added. “Once you have one tattoo you want a lot more. Well, it’s always said I have ‘Harvey Weinstein’ tattooed on my bum, but that’s just a secret between Harvey and me.”

According to Surrey Life magazine her new tattoo was a gift from her daughter Tara “Finty” Williams, is situated over her right wrist and bears the phrase “carpe diem” in bold font. “That’s my motto: Seize the day,” she told the magazine. “Finty gave it to me for my 81st birthday — she’s wonderful with surprises.”


[From People]

Dame Judi has such a joie de vivre about her. She can find the positive in everything. Like, surprising someone with a tattoo? Please no one ever do that to me. Obviously this is her daughter and she’s been talking about it so this was just the push to get her to do it. But couldn’t you just see her beaming as the needle sinks in and exclaiming, “oh how wonderful – what penmanship!” And how bada$$ to get her first at 81. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did get more. But you can bet you lunch money she apologizes profusely to every makeup artist that has to cover her ink up. Harvey Weinstein told that tattoo story on Graham Norton. I’m not sure I believe him but she’s fine with him spreading it so I’ll let it go. Coincidentally, Dame Judi is one of my favorite GN guests, she’s always the most engaging person on the couch. Like this story when she forgot she’d gone clubbing with Graham.

If you have not seen Dame Judi learning to rap with Lethal Bizzle in her Stay Dench cap, I suggest you stop whatever you are doing right now and watch it. I don’t mean get around to it soon, I mean pull your car over, put your fork down, hang up the phone and watch this – you’ll be thanking me for the rest of the day. “Pow”

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Photo credit: WENN Photos

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55 Responses to “Judi Dench: ‘Once you have one tattoo you want a lot more’”

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  1. Sixer says:

    I never want or care about other people’s clothes but I love that blue coat. Want.

    It’s true about tattoos. I stopped at three but am always tempted by a fourth.

    • lightpurple says:

      That blue coat is mine. Weapons drawn.

      And I don’t think I’ve actually heard anyone use “fortnight” outside of a book. Dame Judi rocks.

      • Sixer says:

        Shanks at dawn!

        Wait, what? Americans don’t say fortnight?

      • lightpurple says:

        No. Fortnight is confined to Jane Austen novels and Masterpiece Theater on PBS, which is where stuff like Downton Abbey and Poldark air.

      • Sixer says:

        That’s so weird! I say fortnight all the time!

      • EOA says:

        Yes, while we know what a fortnight is, we’ll just say something is happening in two weeks instead of using the term fortnight.

      • Sixer says:

        I’m going to work in “fortnight” to every post I comment on from now on!

      • FLORC says:

        Sixer…
        Most don’t know what a fortnight is…

      • LokiGal says:

        I wonder if her blue outfit is an Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla? I know they’ve clothed her for red carpets before and she’s said she’s partial to their updated versions of the coat kameez/ladies version of a sherwani that she favours

      • AnnaKist says:

        It’s used all the time in Australia and New Zealand, too. The kiddies are on school holidays for a fortnight.

      • Sixer says:

        Calling all Canadian Celebitches! Do you say fortnight?

      • Swordspoint says:

        Canadian here. No, “fortnight” is not in general use, although we know the term.

      • lightpurple says:

        Okay, the blue outfit, before we all shank one another over it. Let’s set up a rotation for it in which we all get to have it for a fortnight.

      • Sixer says:

        Excellent plan.

      • Erinn says:

        Sixer –
        I’ve used it – but really only to be dramatic. I’ve known it since I was a kid, though I’m really not sure where it came up. It’s kind of like the word chesterfield for me – I’ll usually just say couch, but will say it once in a while. My grandmother will almost always say chesterfield. But I’m in the Maritimes – which I think is more heavily influenced by British and Acadian terms than more western provinces. Arse is still pretty common here as well as cellar instead of basement.

      • Lady D says:

        @Sixer, I rarely use fortnight, but I am educating the masses on the word stone when used as a measure of weight.

      • Janetdr says:

        I use fortnight but 1. I read a lot of British books, and 2. British heritage (grandparents who unfortunately died before I was born). It puzzles people, as does “porridge”. And I tomato/ tomahto to myself every single time before I say it and tailor to my audience.

    • Alix says:

      Tats are like potato chips — nobody an stop at just one1

      • spidey says:

        While we are being linguistically argumentative – it is crisps not chips!! 🙂

      • Lady D says:

        For years and years while growing up I thought the British people were the most fantastic and dedicated gardeners in the world. Everybody in Britain had a garden, everybody. I think I was about 30 when I realized the British use the word garden in place of lawn or yard. Gotta admit, I felt kind of stupid when I figured it out.

    • third ginger says:

      Sixer and UK friends. In the USA, the use of fortnight would be considered “fancy talkin” and in some areas likely punishable by jail time. Love to all.

      • lightpurple says:

        Let’s get Princess Nagini to define “fortnight!” After the bang-up job she did with “architect” and “complicit” this should be a hoot!

      • Sixer says:

        This is the kind of daft titbit (and I think Americans say tidbit, teehee) that I only find out by commenting here. It may sound silly but discovering language usage quirks like this makes my day!

      • jetlagged says:

        We don’t really say daft either. You ought to come for a visit Sixer, polite chit-chat might turn into an Abbott and Costello routine. “That’s daft”, says Sixer. “Well it’s an old house”, says your host. ba-dum tish.

  2. BeamMeUpScottie says:

    She is a hoot! Love her attitude to life 🙂

    • INeedANap says:

      She genuinely seems to enjoy being alive. Not just be content to exist, but actively happy. I aspire to such a solid and rich inner life. Rock on Dame Judi.

    • Wren says:

      I love her. I’ve loved her forever, ever since I watched her in British comedies when I was a kid.

    • GiBee says:

      She reminds me of my grandma, if my grandma wasn’t a nasty old racist Englishwoman. Dame Judi is like, the best universe version of her.

    • Glisten says:

      I like her too. Don’t agree with her personally about the tattoos though. I don’t like mine and regret them. Got my two at the same time on a bad day. Getting one lasered off, going to leave the other. I don’t care what any one else does but mine did not come out the way I wanted. It was a goofy thing I did in an emotional bad love related moment. I think personally, maybe there should be a 24 hour waiting time or something. That way all who really want them can get them and be happy, but those like me that just do it carelessly and end up unhappy with them do not. Oh well be happy everybody either way. But please think it through first to get the best results.

  3. Liberty says:

    I love her. 😄

  4. Lucy2 says:

    That video! They were hilarious together, she is amazing, and his accent is so lovely.
    May we all be so lucky to live as long and fully as Judi.

  5. Nicole says:

    I love her. She’s got such a light.
    And she’s totally right about the tats. I got one and I haven’t stopped since

  6. Katherine says:

    I’m half her age and I’m like “probably too late to start with tattoos – my body doesn’t heal as fast anymore sigh” Schooled me right there, maam, LOoooOL

    • Wren says:

      The only thing with getting tattoos at an older age is that the skin becomes more delicate so you want to choose an artist with experience working on all ages of people and types of skin. Other than that, they don’t really take all that much to heal. Just a little time and care. The lines are a bit like cat scratches; they hurt a bit, they’re raised as they heal, then finally they’re flat and seamless with the rest of your skin.

  7. grabbyhands says:

    I find that tattoos are like potato chips – you can’t have just one. At least, it’s hard to stop at one.

  8. third ginger says:

    I have never wanted tattoos, but the fact that Dame Judy and Sir DDL have them warms my heart. DDL started getting them years ago.

  9. Maria F. says:

    i do not have tattoos, could not think of anything special enough.

    I find it interesting, that nowadays it is more rare to see somebody without tattoos then the other way around.

    And i also see too many fugly tattoos without rhyme or reason. I prefer entire sleeves or legs or back tattoos with some kind of artistic thought involved, then halfbaked cartoons and somesuch.

  10. ArchieGoodwin says:

    I love this woman. I discovered her years ago, while watching As Time Goes By. We still watch it, it’s like we’re all family 🙂
    since then, anything and everything with Judi please!

  11. prissa says:

    I always hear people say this but I got one more than 10 years ago and haven’t gotten another since. Although lately I’ve been thinking about getting another.

  12. jferber says:

    God bless her. A shining sunbeam in these dark times.

  13. marc kile says:

    Her and Helen Mirren rule the universe of cool.

    • third ginger says:

      My husband recently went crazy over a 1968 version of MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM starring Dames Judy and Helen in their twenties. Eternally gorgeous!!

  14. Sullivan says:

    This post made me happy. Thanks!

  15. adastraperaspera says:

    A Judi post! Awesome! I would like a Stay Dench hat please.

  16. Jerusha says:

    She calls him Dan Day Lewis. Love it!

  17. OTHER RENEE says:

    I have one on my ankle and I love it but don’t want anymore. When I got it, my (conservative) teenage daughter was mortified. She said, “I guess one is ok. But don’t get anymore because then you’ll be one of those people who gets tattoos!”

    • Snowflake says:

      Yeah I have one on my ankle I want to get covered up. I got it at 18 and it says born to be wild with a cartoon Tweety Bird. No longer applies! At 41, I feel silly when people notice it!

      • spidey says:

        That is the problem with tattoos, what seems ok at the time may seem ridiculous in later life.

        But then I have to admit to being biased because I don’t like them. Sorry!

  18. Bettyrose says:

    At least Judi Dench and tattoo appeared in the same sentence in my lifetime.

  19. kodakay says:

    I STILL love her! She’s pure class.

    I’ve been watching her every since “As Time Goes By”. She’s only come into her own since then. She’s a wonderful actress and person. Cheers, Dame Dench!

  20. Jaded says:

    “Pow”…my new mantra. My love for her is uncontainable.

  21. I Choose Me says:

    I want a Stay Dench hat. Love this woman!

  22. Nica says:

    Oops, deleted comment since I posted in the wrong spot.