Dame Judi Dench has shared a story about how a very large flower arrangement from Vin Diesel convinced her to take a role in a major sci-fi film. The 91-year-old Oscar winner writes about the gesture in her new memoir, “Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?” , released on November 3, 2026, by St. Martin’s Press. The book, written with Brendan O’Hea, covers her long career and includes the story of how Diesel went to unusual lengths to get her to join “The Chronicles of Riddick” in 2004.
The story centres on a bouquet so large that theatre staff could not carry it to her dressing room. Dench’s account, first reported by Variety, describes how Diesel sent the flowers ahead of a visit to the Haymarket Theatre in London, where she was appearing in a play. The flowers were left at the stage door because they were too big for the stairs. Dench compared the arrangement to the length of a kayak, calling it “easily the length of a kayak. And as wide”. The gesture worked, and she agreed to play the role of Aereon.
The Bouquet That Sealed the Deal
Dench was performing in David Hare’s play “The Breath of Life” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket when Diesel came to see the show. At the time, he was preparing “The Chronicles of Riddick” , a sequel to “Pitch Black” , and wanted Dench for the part of Aereon, an ambassador who can move through the air. Before he arrived to make his offer, he sent the flowers to her dressing room. The bouquet was so large that it had to be left at the stage door.
Dench’s memoir records the exchange with O’Hea, who questioned whether she could have turned the role down. “You can’t say no to a man like that, can you?” she wrote. O’Hea replied that she could have said no “if you’d had a bit more integrity.” Dench’s response was direct: “No . . . I’m cheap as chips, me. Far too easily wooed”. The quote has become a key part of the story’s coverage, with outlets like People and CBR highlighting her self-deprecating humour.
“You can’t say no to a man like that, can you? I’m cheap as chips, me. Far too easily wooed.” — Judi Dench, in her memoir “Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?”
The Chronicles of Riddick was released on June 11, 2004. Directed by David Twohy, the film starred Vin Diesel as Richard B. Riddick and featured Colm Feore, Thandiwe Newton, Karl Urban, and Alexa Davalos. Dench played Aereon, an Air Elemental who helps Riddick in his fight against the Necromonger empire. The film was part of a franchise that began with “Pitch Black” in 2000 and continued with “Riddick” in 2013. Dench did not appear in the later films.
Aereon and the World of Riddick
Dench’s role in “The Chronicles of Riddick” was a departure from the period dramas and comedies she was known for. Aereon is an ethereal being who calculates odds and predicts the future with accuracy. In the film, she serves as an ally to Riddick, recognising his power to defeat Lord Marshal, played by Colm Feore. The character’s appearance involved elaborate costume work, which Dench also discusses in her memoir.
The costume process for the film did not go entirely to plan. Dench wrote that during her original fitting she was given “very, very long white hair” and “bright blue lenses”. On her first day of filming, however, she was presented with a shorter, bouffant wig. Dench compared the look to Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie” . The original wig was eventually restored, but she had to give up the lenses. “Maybe because Vin had nabbed them,” she joked.
The film’s production was a significant moment for Diesel, who served as a producer as well as the lead actor. Diesel had been a long-time admirer of Dench, according to IMDb trivia, and had her dressing room filled with flowers before she agreed to the part. The effort reflected his interest in bringing a classically trained actor into the sci-fi franchise. Dench’s casting added a different kind of presence to the film, which was otherwise built around action and visual effects.
Kenneth Branagh’s Sneaky Handkerchief
Diesel was not the only person to use a gift to persuade Dench to take a role. In the same memoir, she describes how Kenneth Branagh gave her “the most wonderful embroidered handkerchief” when he asked her to appear in “Murder on the Orient Express” in 2017. The handkerchief carried the initials of her character, Princess Natalia Dragomiroff. Dench said Branagh “must’ve known that’d make me say yes; he’s so sneaky”.
“He must’ve known that’d make me say yes; he’s so sneaky. But then I’d do anything for Ken. If he said, ‘Will you play a mat on the floor in Three Sisters?’ I’d say, ‘When do I start?’” — Judi Dench on Kenneth Branagh
Dench also noted that she only learned the full scale of the “Orient Express” cast gradually. She named Olivia Colman, Penélope Cruz, Johnny Depp, and Derek Jacobi as co-stars whose involvement made the project hard to resist. She played Princess Dragomiroff in the 2017 mystery film, though she later told O’Hea she did not have fond memories of the character. “Don’t ask me anything about her. She was some old broad who sat around with a lot of jewelry and a couple of Shih Tzus — one black, one white”.
Inside the Memoir: More Than Flowers
“Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?” is not only a collection of casting stories. The book, published on November 3, 2026, by St. Martin’s Press, runs to 368 pages and was written with Brendan O’Hea, a friend of Dench’s. It covers her early life, her theatre career, and her time in the James Bond films. One of the other stories reported from the book involves Daniel Craig suggesting that her character, M, should be killed off in “Skyfall” . Dench played M across eight Bond films, and the memoir discusses her two-decade run as the head of MI6.
The book also includes Dench’s reflections on the gifts she has given to others. She recalled that the playwright David Hare once asked her to make him a cushion with something rude written on it. Hare said he looked forward to his mother seeing it and remarking on the “charming cushion” without being able to read it clearly. Dench, an avid cross-stitcher, made the cushion with a swirl pattern. “If you studied it closely, it said, ‘F*** off’”.
Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, who worked with Dench on “Pride & Prejudice” , also noticed her skill with embroidery. Knightley recalled that Dench would sit and embroider, and the result looked quaint until you read the text. “She’s embroidering a cushion,” Knightley said. “And you go: ‘What are you embroidering?’ And [it says]: ‘F***!’”.
A Career of Unlikely Choices
Dench’s decision to join “The Chronicles of Riddick” fits a pattern of unexpected role choices in a career that has spanned stage, television, and film. Before “Riddick” , she was known for her work in Shakespearean productions, period dramas, and the James Bond series. After “Riddick” , she appeared in “Murder on the Orient Express” , “Cats” , and a range of other projects. The memoir records her willingness to say yes to roles that might seem outside her usual range, often because of a personal connection or a gesture from a collaborator.
“The Chronicles of Riddick” itself remains a notable entry in the franchise. The film was followed by “Riddick” in 2013 , and Vin Diesel has spoken about a fourth instalment, “Riddick: Furya” , for several years. No official release date has been announced for that project, and reports about its production status have not been confirmed by Diesel. The first three films in the series have grossed over $267 million worldwide.
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The memoir’s release has brought renewed attention to Dench’s “Riddick” story, with outlets across the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and India covering her account. People published a detailed report on the flowers and the Branagh handkerchief. Variety carried the story with Dench’s quotes from the book. CBR focused on the casting angle and the film’s production background. News24 in Australia highlighted the “length of a kayak” detail and Dench’s joke about being “cheap as chips”. Entertainment Weekly , which had interviewed Dench about the flowers in 2017 , revisited the story alongside new details from the memoir.
“Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?” is available now wherever books are sold. The book is published by St. Martin’s Press in the United States and has been released in hardcover, with an audiobook edition also listed. For readers outside the U.S., the book is available through major retailers and online booksellers, with release dates varying by region.
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