Dame Judi Dench told Louis Theroux she bought her £8 million farmhouse with the fee she pocketed from a butter advert.
The acting legend, 87, revealed she can’t even remember starring in the one-off ad for Clover butter four decades ago, but the money she made from it allowed her and late husband Michael Williams to purchase the Surrey property, which is worth around £8 million in today’s money.
Dame Judi, who is reportedly worth around £45 million, is the latest celebrity to be interviewed by documentary maker Louis for his new BBC Two series.
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“Suddenly, Michael and I got a Clover butter advertisement that bought this house,” she told Louis.
He jokingly replied: “Because you love it so much?” referencing’s the brand’s famous slogan.
Dame Judi continued: “It was something like 38 years ago.”
Many actors take on lucrative advertising work, particularly when they are inbetween jobs.
But Dame Judi said the ad was a one-off and not part of a running brand agreement, which means she wouldn't have got paid more than her fee.
One of Louis’ producers then stepped in to show her the ad, which can be viewed on YouTube, and she admits she had no recollection of ever filming it.
During the same chat, Dame Judi fought back tears as she spoke about losing her husband of 30 years to lung cancer.
Michael, who was also an actor best known for starring in A Fine Romance alongside his wife, passed away in 2001.
The couple share one daughter, Tara Cressida Frances – known as ‘Finty’ – who is now 50.
Overcome with emotion as she spoke about Michael, the 87-year-old screen star said her husband “wasn’t well” at the end.
She continued: “He died in 2001 of lung cancer. Smoking you see, all that smoking when we were young.”
Dame Judi said she was in New York when she found out the devastating news and had a nightmare trying to get back home.
She said: “I was in New York and they said he [Michael] was not well.
“My agent flew out and we came back on Concorde the next day and it aborted take-off.
"We got off and we went back and said: 'Oh, it'll be alright.' We got on another plane and the same thing happened. It was a long old time to get back.
"We got back here and we were all in the house together and that was very, very good indeed."
Dame Judi also admitted she refuses to quit acting despite an eye disorder now making it hard for her to read.
Her advanced macular degeneration means she can no longer write and also needs someone else to cut up her food.
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