Ian McKellen Jokes About Taking Judi Dench’s Nameless Oscar

Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen gave fans another reason to admire their long-standing friendship during the August 31, 2026, episode of “Tea With Judi Dench.”

The two actors sat down for tea at Dench’s home and looked through her collection of awards, leading to a humorous exchange about their trophies.

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While showing McKellen her awards shelf, Dench picked up the Oscar she won for Best Supporting Actress for “Shakespeare in Love” in 1999. The statuette immediately caught McKellen’s attention because it did not have her name on the base.

Dench explained that she never received an engraved nameplate for the award, adding that the nameplates had been stolen two nights before the Academy Awards.

Lightening the mood, Dench joked that the statuette “could be anyone’s,” prompting McKellen to sarcastically ask whether she would give the nameless Oscar to him.

“I certainly will. You can have it for everything,” Dench played along before handing the statuette to her longtime friend.

Ian McKellen’s Curiosity Left His Golden Globe In Pieces

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As they talked, McKellen revealed he’d had a similar incident with one of the many awards he had received throughout his acting career.

He claimed that the Golden Globe he won for his supporting role in “Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny” also arrived without his name on it.

However, unlike Dench, who kept her Oscar looking pristine on the shelf, McKellen decided to find out how his trophy had been assembled. He discovered a screw on the bottom and used a screwdriver to take the award apart.

Unfortunately, he found it difficult to put the pieces back together. That created another problem when the Golden Globes asked him to return the award so that they could engrave his name on it.

Fans Call Judi Dench And Ian McKellen ‘A Treasure’

Fans quickly reacted to the humorous exchange on social media.

One person wrote, “Oh. my. god. Sir Ian McKellen doesn’t have an Oscar! How???? I googled, and he’s been nominated twice.”

Another fan said, “He should at least get an honorary Oscar at this point. Come ON academy.”

Other comments focused on the pair’s chemistry, which was evident throughout the clip.

“These two are fkin goobers. I love McKellen’s story about how he and Dench were at Buckingham Palace for an event, and they stumbled into the throne room, and both sat on the thrones like naughty children,” one fan wrote.

Another said, “I would watch an entire series of just them chatting away in various locations, about all their memories. They’re a treasure.”

Judi Dench Receives A Lasting Honor In London’s West End

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Dench’s unengraved Oscar may have been one of the more unusual details from her conversation with McKellen, but another recent honor demonstrated how highly her career continued to be regarded.

In June, London’s Shaftesbury Theatre announced that it would be renamed the Judi Dench Theatre beginning in February 2027.

The decision recognized Dench’s contribution to British theatre following decades of performances in the West End and beyond.

The theatre also had a personal connection to Dench, as she had performed there earlier in her career.

Ian McKellen Celebrates 65 Years Since His Professional Debut

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Meanwhile, Dench was not the only one whose long career had recently received attention. McKellen marked 65 years since beginning his professional acting career on September 4, just days after his conversation with Dench aired.

He made his professional debut in 1961 in “A Man for All Seasons” at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.

More than six decades later, his career includes over 60 major international acting awards. His honors include a Tony Award, six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, along with multiple Academy Award, Emmy, and BAFTA nominations.