Dame Judi Dench has become the oldest star to seem on the British Vogue cover in its 104-year history.
The 85-year-old was photographed for the magazine’s June issue before lockdown, but in the interview talked about self-isolating house in Surrey.
She said she hopes “a great deal of kindness” will come out of the catastrophe.
The Oscar-winning actress also confessed to being unhappy about her character in Cats movie, saying she sounded like a “battered, mangy old cat”.
Jane Fonda was the former oldest cover star, who appeared at the age of 81 last year.
Talking about the coronavirus pandemic, Dame Judi said: “I am sure I feel like everyone else, such unprecedented times are quite hard to comprehend.
“What is a good thing is that it has made people aware of the predicament of others who are completely alone.
“If a great deal of kindness comes out of this, then that will be a plus.”
Dame Judi recently took part in a star-studded fundraiser for frontline workers, with profits donated to the Care Workers Charity and NHS Charities Together.
She has appeared in videos posted by members of the family and Gyles Brandreth, and also did a TikTok dance together with her grandson to the song Cheryl by US rapper Yung Gravy.
Talking about Cats, which was ridiculed by critics, Dame Judi said she hadn’t yet watched the movie fully.
But she has watched enough to understand how disheartened she felt by the way the CGI graphics made her look.
She hoped to look elegant, but instead said she resembled “a great big orange bruiser”, adding: “What’s that about?”
Dame Judi also discussed the future of the James Bond franchise, having first played spymaster M in 1995’s Goldeneye.
With speculation over whether a woman will take over from Daniel Craig following his last innings as 007 later this year in No Time To Die, Dame Judi said Bond creator Ian Fleming would not be in favour.
While she is all for female action leads, if a woman was to play Bond, Dame Judi said: “Call it something else, then?”
As for any thoughts of her retirement, she insisted it will not happen any time soon.
“No, no, no, no. Don’t use that word… Not in this house. Not here. Wash your mouth out!”
Quoting Dylan Thomas’s poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, she added: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Never was a truer word spoken.”
