#IsItTooLatetoMakeaRunforIt #NetGalley
368 pages for the book
10 hours and 30 minutes for the audio
Five stars 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠
Released on 03 November 2026
My thoughts:
Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea previously collaborated on Shakespeare, The Man who Pays the Rent, a book/audio that is one of my favorite titles ever. Here they again come together to talk about many aspects of Dench’s life. Their affection for one another and the way in which they banter shows them to be very good friends. It was an utter pleasure to spend time with them.
Dame Judi, who is in her 90s, is as sharp and witty as ever. She has many tales to tell about her growing up, her marriage, her family, her roles and more. Just one example; I adored hearing about her trees. She plants one for each person whom she loved who has died. It is a glorious tradition.
This is a book that I may read more than once. Ditto listening to the audio. They provided just what I needed.
I most, most highly recommend this title, along with the Shakespeare book.
Note that the audio includes a bonus conversation between Judi and Brendan. Don’t miss it.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this wonderful title. All thoughts are my own.
From Publishers Weekly-This generous memoir is a testament to what a happy fact it is she hasn’t done so yet. It’s a delightful account of a life well-lived.(Nov.)
From Kirkus Reviews-Hilarious, fortifying notes on a life largely spent chasing fun.
Description:
from the publisher
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea chat about her life on the stage, on the screen, and, above all, behind the scenes…
In Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea take us on a heartfelt and hilarious tour of her extraordinary life and career. From growing up in York and being miffed at not getting the part of Mary in the school Nativity play, to playing before sold-out houses on Broadway and in London’s West End, she’s done it all. She walked the red carpets of Hollywood, turned James Bond’s M into the most astute, unflinching Head of MI6 anyone could ever have imagined, and won an Oscar, a Tony, Golden Globes, Oliviers, and BAFTAs along the way.
Yet despite the accolades, she has been accompanied by doubt. From the movie producer who said she had “everything wrong” with her face, to the theatre director who advised her against doing sitcom. Is it any wonder she leaves a bag by the rehearsal room door in case she has to make a run for it?
But stepping out of her comfort zone has been Judi’s guiding principle and in Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, she reveals all to Brendan – her friend and writing partner. She tells stories of pranks (both onstage and off), dissects her greatest screen roles, shares tales of her joyful marriage to actor Michael Williams, and talks about her passion for nature and animals.
As told to Brendan O’Hea, this is Judi Dench’s story – funny, honest, intimate, enlightening, surprising, moving, and deeply inspiring. Over ninety years in the making, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? is the story of the world’s most beloved actor.
