Judi Dench Recalls Robin Williams Helping Her Husband During Cancer
Judi Dench writes that Robin Williams offered kindness to her husband, Michael Williams, while he was battling lung cancer. The account appears in her forthcoming memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It?, and was reported by Variety on 1 November 2026.
In the book, Dench describes staying at Billy Connolly's home in Scotland with her husband when the couple met Williams. After a party, she writes, Williams offered to help Michael walk up a steep hill. He said he would "ride shotgun anyway," a phrase meaning he would come along regardless.
The two actors had already worked together. They appeared in the 1996 film Hamlet. Three years later, at the 1999 Academy Awards, Williams presented Dench with the Oscar for best supporting actress, for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love.
Michael Williams died on 11 January 2001, aged 65. The couple had married in 1971. Robin Williams died in 2014, aged 63.
The memoir also includes Dench's reflections on her time making Cats, the 2019 musical film. Its cast included James Corden, Idris Elba and Taylor Swift.
The book's US publisher is St. Martin's Press, as People reported when the project was announced in March. Penguin Books UK lists the British edition under its Michael Joseph imprint. The title is listed on sale on 3 November 2026.
