Maggie Smith and Judi Dench Had the Kind of Snarky Friendship We Should All Aspire to Have

In the 2018 documentary Tea with the Dames, the man who gave the world Notting Hill gifted us with another thrilling display of friendship. Director Roger Michell turned his sights on a special gathering of delightful Dames that happens but once a year. Dames Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Eileen Atkins carve out time for an annual tea party that is filled with laughter, nostalgia, and good old-fashioned ribbing.

All of these women share a friendship that spanned decades. Maggie and Judi met in 1958 and have both said it was love and laughter at first sight. Let's take a look back at the iconic Maggie Smith and Judi Dench's friendship.

In 2002, Maggie honored Judi at a tribute for the actor and took the time to reflect upon their decades-long relationship. "What I remember about that time was the beginning of a friendship," she recalled. "I remember laughter more than anything in the world." This joy was a thread throughout their friendship, said Maggie, as she reminisced about working on two films with Judi. Maggie said they "behaved rather badly" on both, but she meant bad in a good way.

Regarding their time together on A Room with a View, Maggie said they "laughed and shrieked so much together that [they] quite unnerved Merchant Ivory," the production company behind the movie. Things only got worse, or better depending on how you look at it," while filming Tea with Mussolini. "We laughed, played Scrabble, we drank Prosecco, we behaved very badly again." She was convinced they frightened the Italian crew.

On a more serious note, Maggie shared she was deeply honored to be Judi's friend. "Not only are you a stunning talent, just breathtakingly wonderful, but you have so many other qualities as well," said Maggie. In April 2005, Maggie and Judi were guests on Charlie Rose's show to promote their movie Ladies in Lavender. While once again dipping into their origin story, Judi took a moment to say that it honestly looked like they did nothing but work together.

The conversation takes a more somber turn while still being rooted firmly in their connection. Both Maggie and Judi had lost the men they loved, and were brought even closer together by that. Beverley Cross, Maggie's husband, died in 1998 while Judi's husband Michael Williams passed away in 2001. When they were in The Breath of Life at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End in 2002, their shared loss was oddly comforting. In fact, there is a moment when they look at each other and then down with a similar sad expression.

In September 2024, it was announced that Dame Maggie Smith had passed away at the age of 89. Apart from her many accomplishments on the stage and screen, the world is celebrating her friendship with Judi Dench. Yes her work should be celebrated, but to find someone whom you truly love the way Maggie and Judi loved each other, that's extremely rare. To honor that, pop on Tea with the Dames and bask in the kind of light roasting that can only come from years of friendship.