With recent success of Skyfall, and ahead of this year’s Oscar nominations (announced on 10th January), Plusnet's research into the pride of our nation, reveals that Brits feel most proud of Judi Dench compared to the top five British actors of all time. Playing the character M in recent James Bond films, alongside other prolific roles such as Mrs. Fairfax in Jane Eyre and her Oscar-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love, Dame Judi Dench has earned the top spot in Britain’s heart. Carry on reading to find out who else made the top five ... Eight in ten (81%) women are proud of Judi Dench compared to just over two thirds (68%) of men. Maggie Smith, the only other female in the poll who secured fourth place, also inspires pride in women with 13% more women than men being proud of the actress, currently nominated for a Golden Globe for her supporting role in Downton Abbey. According to our research, the top five actors and actresses Brits are most proud of are:
- Judi Dench (75%)
- Michael Caine (65%)
- Laurence Olivier (62%)
- Maggie Smith (60%)
- Ian McKellan (56%)
The over-65's show more pride for the old Hollywood classics, with nearly eight in 10 people (79%) of this age group being proud of Laurence Olivier, compared to only half as many 18-24 year olds (41%). However, the seniors are not as proud of British actors in general and it is actually those in the lower age brackets that feel the highest levels of pride for actors in Britain, scoring 58% in contrast to just 41% of over 65’s. This is despite a new trend in films catering for the ‘grey pound’ with works such as ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and ‘Quartet’ on the increase, for which both Judi Dench and Maggie Smith have received Golden Globe nominations for respectively. Jamie Ford, Plusnet CEO, said:
“We are a company that takes pride in everything we do so it is interesting to see that one of the things Brits are truly proud of is the great talent our country has to offer the film industry.”
We'll see what tomorrow brings when the nominations are announced from the States. In the meantime why not take a peek at the Guardian's Oscar Nomination predictions for 2013. Who do you think's worthy of an Oscar this year? Let us know by leaving a comment below ...