Judi Dench discusses her Cats character: "The cloak – like five foxes f**king on my back"

(Image credit: Universal)

The recent adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats has not only been mauled by critics, but also by some of the movie's very own stars. Judi Dench has become the latest person to discuss her unhappiness with the final results, describing her character as looking like "a great big orange bruiser" with "five foxes fucking on my back".

Dench plays one of Cats' key characters, Old Deuteronomy. Though the actress has not seen the final film, the pictures that she has witnessed have been enough to send her seething. "The cloak I was made to wear!” she told Vogue. “Like five foxes fucking on my back.”

Dench revealed that she had hoped the movie's VFX would make her look rather elegant. Instead, though, she describes Deuteronomy as "a battered, mangy old cat.” Reportedly appalled, she added: "A great big orange bruiser. What’s that about?” 

However, Cats was not all bad. Dench also revealed that she had "a text from Ben Whishaw [the actor], who just doted on it. So sweet. So lovely.”

Unfortunately, Dench was not asked whether she was aware of the existence of the so-called "butt-hole cut" – which frankly sounds like the opposite of elegant. Fingers crossed that someone asks her soon, as she'll no doubt have another funny answer to offer.

Did Cats make our best movies of 2019 list? Of course not! But you can check the list out through that link.

Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.