Dame Judi already earned a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy,” and a Screen Actors Guild nomination for “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role,” and an Oscar nod should be forthcoming.
She earned her first Oscar nomination 20 years ago for Mrs. Brown, where she played the same character, Queen Victoria, and history ought to repeat itself. Believe it or not, Dame Judi has yet to win an Oscar for “Best Actress” in her illustrious acting career, and if any role were to achieve this milestone, it should be for her portrayal of Queen Victoria. Besides, she is regarded as one of the best living actresses in the world, who can successfully tackle any script, whether it is drama, musical or comedy.
In this role, Dame Judi does it all: she showcases power, vulnerability, she sings, she dances, and plays an overweight Queen Victoria until her dying moment. She truly morphs into Victoria as the “Empress of India.” More importantly, she plays an elderly person that is trying to be young again, and her co-star Bollywood actor Ali Fazal shines in every scene he is in. Fazal is exceptional as the queen’s “Munshi,” or spiritual teacher, Abdul Karim in Victoria & Abdul, and the Indian actor deserves some “Supporting Actor” recognition in his own right, whether it is the Oscars or the BAFTAs. Hopefully, this will be the role that will lead Dame Judi to her long-awaited Oscar No. 2. It is equal in excellence to Marion Cotillard’s portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, and Helen Mirren’s take on Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen.
Read More: Victoria & Abdul earned a glowing review from Digital Journal.
