Judi Dench Is a TikTok Icon

She says the app saved her life

BY Allie GregoryPublished Jun 30, 2020

Like Sir Anthony Hopkins before her, Dame Judi Dench has joined a growing brigade of honoured celebrity senior citizens who are throwing themselves into learning TikTok during isolation.

In the time that she's not rehearsing Shakespeare sonnets or gardening, the 85-year-old actress — with help from her account-holding 22-year-old grandson, Sam Williams — has spent the better part of quarantine learning new dance moves for their adorable family TikToks.

More than just offering a bit of fun with her kin, the actress says that doing videos with her grandson has been a lifesaver in keeping isolation boredom at bay.

"It saved my life," she told Channel 4 News. "I know nothing about TikTok. Sam is the person who is technically minded and who has all the ideas, so he got very strict. He made me do it. I had to rehearse. I had to rehearse all those moves. Don't just think that comes naturally." 

She added: "I hope I'm asked to do more, but of course, I can't ask for the part."

The videos have collectively reached hundreds of thousands of views, earned for their adorable dances and expert synchronization. 

See some of Williams's TikToks featuring grandma Dench below.
 
@sam.williams1

When Bojo let's you film a family TikTok ##fyp ##fy ##foryou ##mother ##grandmother ##viral ##dance @finty.williams1

♬ Laxed (Siren Beat) - Jawsh 685

 
@sam.williams1

Quarantine edition.... ##fyp ##foryou ##xyzbca ##famousrelative ##judidench

♬ Cheryl - yung gravy

 
@sam.williams1

Not quite sure why TikTok took this down... Like Grandma, Like Grandson ##fyp ##fy ##dance ##foryou ##famousrelative ##judidench ##jamesbond ##m

♬ original sound - sam.williams1

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