Coupled with her continued stage work, Dench's name only grew in stature in her native England. Other strong performances in additional British movies followed. Her performance as a young wife in Four in the Morning (1965) earned Dench her first British Academy of Film and Television Award. The 1960s brought Dench to the big screen, as well. In 1968, she had a starring role as Sally Bowles in Cabaret.
She stretched herself even more by taking on comedic work, including stage productions of Oscar Wilde. In 1959, she made her television debut in the series Hilda Lessways. In 1961, Dench joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, the start of a 30-year run with that playhouse that would see the actress take on every leading female Shakespeare role.īut Dench wasn't just content with Shakespeare or drama. Dench continued work with the Old Vic for another four years. She made her stage debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Production Company at the Royal Court, turning heads as Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Dench's innate talent and versatility were hard to ignore.
