Dame Judi Dench was “quite surprised” to find herself standing in front of Sir Kenneth Branagh naked from the waist down following a backstage mishap.
The director and actor went to see Dame Judi in her dressing room, to talk about their new film Murder On The Orient Express, while they were both performing on the London stage in Shakespeare play The Winter’s Tale.
The movie, which had its premiere in London on Thursday night, also stars Olivia Colman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad and Penelope Cruz.
Sir Kenneth, who directs and stars in the adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel, tells The Graham Norton Show: “I used to go and talk to her about the film when we were doing The Winter’s Tale…
“I went into her dressing room one night and she was sitting in her dressing gown.”
He added: “We are excitedly talking about the film… when we get the call to go on stage.
“We are still chatting in the wings and with 30 seconds to go she throws off her dressing gown and there is nothing on below the waist!
“I had the briefest of looks, but I can confirm, like the song, ‘there is nothing like a dame’!
“Her dresser ran to get her skirt and Judi went on clutching it around her,” he tells the BBC One show.
Dame Judi, who appears on Norton’s show alongside Depp, Pfeiffer, Gad and Sir Kenneth, adds: “I was quite surprised too!”
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One tonight at 10.35pm.
