Judi Dench’s ‘Strict’ Grandson Moved in with Her Helped Save Her Life – Meet the Ginger Man Who Is a Copy of Her Husband

• Dame Judi Dench, an iconic actress, cherishes her close bond with her grandson Sam, who bears a striking resemblance to her late husband.
• Sam’s strict direction brought Judi to TikTok fame during the pandemic, offering a creative outlet.
• Despite coping with sight loss, Judi remains dedicated to acting and appreciates the joy Sam brings to her life.

Dame Judi Dench is a mom of one. The actress and her late husband, Michael Williams, were married from 1971 to 2001 and were blessed with a daughter, Finty Williams. Judi is a doting grandmother, as Finty has blessed her with a grandson, Sam Williams.

Judi finds joy in her daughter and grandchild after Michael died from lung cancer in 2001. The actress said she and her husband had a very happy marriage. When asked what kept their union strong and successful, she answered that it was probably their sense of humor.

“Michael used to laugh and, and when he laughed, he used to cry,” she recalled. Still, Judi said it could be their mutual interest in things that kept them going. “It’s impossible to tell,” she added.

Judi recalled working with her husband on the British situation comedy “A Fine Romance” and that what appealed to her to take part was the fact that she would star with Michael. Afterward, Judi and Michael landed a Clover soft spread advertisement that paid for their home in Surrey.

The actress got emotional talking about her husband on BBC Two’s Louis Theroux interview. She was in New York when she was informed that Michael Williams was unwell. Judi’s agent flew out, and she returned on Concorde the following day, but the take-off was aborted.

They disembarked and returned, assuring each other that everything would be alright. Boarding another plane, they encountered a similar issue, leading to a prolonged journey back home. “But we were back, and got back here, and so we were all in the house together, and that was very, very good indeed,” she recalled.

Judi and her only grandson have built quite a bond. The grandmother-grandson duo have lots of fun together. In 2021, Sam posted a cute picture of him and his grandmother all smiles at an event. In 2023, Judi shared that Sam, who lives with her, had gone to Belfast. He called his grandmother to let her know that he landed safely. “He’s terrific,” said Judi.

Judi added that it was nice to know where Sam was, as much as he was only going to be there for three days. She also joked that Sam, who has ginger hair, calls her every day and tells her naughty and rude jokes. People noticed the wonderful grandmother and grandson relationship the two share. Fans also couldn’t help but notice how much Sam resembles the actress’s husband. “He looks just like his grandfather,” a fan pointed out.

“Looks like Michael,” noted another fan, who added that Michael and Judi should have had more kids. Most people pointed out the similar features of Michael and Sam. “I’m sure there’s a very strong resemblance of his late grandfather in this picture❤️How lovely,” a user wrote.

Another individual also gushed, “Love the relationship Dame Judi has with her grandson; it’s just wonderful.” Judi and Sam’s close relationship amazes many other fans on TikTok.

Despite a prolific career in film, the phenomenal actress, who has starred in movies for over 60 years, confessed that featuring in her son’s TikTok videos was the most challenging role she has ever had.

Judi became a viral social media star during the pandemic, thanks to the one-minute videos her grandson shot and shared online. Sam Williams moved in with his grandmother in 2020 and motivated her to take a look at TikTok. He said his grandmother was “quite resistant at first, had no idea about TikTok or anything.”

Judi’s attitude changed after a few videos were shot and ideas came up. “She was up for it,” revealed Sam. However, the actress cut Sam short, noting that her issue wasn’t with the new social media platform but her son’s tough directing style.

The “Skyfall” star narrated that Sam was “Strict! Very strict. I’d say, ‘We’ll do it now,’ and he’d say, ‘No, you can’t do it now you’re not good enough. Do it again, do it again, do it again!'”

Judi had also revealed that her “strict” grandson taught her the dance moves on various clips they shared on TikTok. As much as Sam was tough and learning the dance moves didn’t come naturally, the actress hoped her grandson would ask her to participate in more as she couldn’t just ask for a part.

The “Cats” actress confessed that TikTok saved her life during the pandemic when every day was so unmapped. Mostly, she would wake up not knowing what date it was and, sometimes, even the month. She would also wonder about what she would do for the day, so thankfully, with a tough creative director like Sam, she had activities to fill her day.

As the 89-year-old continues working as an actress and a TikTok sensation, she struggles with sight loss. The movie star was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, which impacts over 600,000 people in the UK.

Judi’s dedication to her craft is evident as she is determined to continue acting, even if that means using her friends to learn lines. The actress hilariously narrated an occasion when she was asked to move a few inches because she was delivering her speech to the proscenium arch and not her fellow actors.

“You find a way of just getting about and getting over the things that you find very difficult,” said Judi about coping with her illness. Some ways the actress copes are by learning via repetition when her friends repeat lines to her over and over. Judi also relies on people to tell her when she is doing something wrong, such as speaking at a wall instead of her fellow actors.

Since Judi’s mother also had sight problems, her daughter, Finty, has her eyes checked regularly. “It is intensely irritating,” admitted Judi. The actress now has to get very close to people before she knows who they are. Still, Judi can walk past someone she knows very well and not recognize them.

Even with these health challenges, Judi chooses to focus on the positive. She finds tidbits of goodness in the loss of her eyesight, but mostly, she enjoys the quality time she spends with her grandson, who brings so much joy into her life.