Franchise Newcomers Who Actually Stole The Show

Dame Judi Dench was not the first actor to play M in the «James Bond» franchise, nor even the second. She entered the series with 1995’s «Goldeneye.» But when you think of M, you probably think of Dench, and not just because she played the role so recently.

With her in the driver’s seat, M became a fully formed character — far more than the glorified boss that Bernard Lee and Robert Brown’s versions were before her. It’s hard to steal the show in a franchise that revolves around its titular character, and yet, M commands attention every time Dench appears on screen, and not just because she’s running MI6.

All of the core «Bond» characters have been recast multiple times over the years, from Q to Felix Leiter. But no role has a more definitive version than Dench’s M. Sure, most put Sean Connery at the top of the 007 heap, but there are plenty of fans who’d put Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig over him. Ask them about M, however, and you’re likely to hear a single resounding answer. It’s telling that «Skyfall,» arguably the most universally acclaimed entry in the entire series, is as much a movie about M as it is about Bond himself. In Hollywood, that’s what they call the Judi Dench Effect.