Sir Ian and The Women
The "Mr. Holmes" star and Oscar-contender took his one-man show to Mill Valley before Los Angeles: "It's an honor to be in the presence of these high-powered, glamorous women." (x)

Meryl Streep (Plenty, 1985)

“We got to know each other a little bit during the rehearsal period. . .We joked a lot. She told me so many wonderful stories. She is so beloved and respected, isn’t she. . . . One day she sent out for some Chinese food for her family. They were just unwrapping it around the dining-room table, when the telephone called and a man said, ‘It’s the president of the United States for Miss Streep.‘ And Meryl said, ‘Look, I’m sorry, we’re just eating a bit of Chinese. Can I call you back?‘ She did. And President Reagan wanted to talk to Meryl about foreign affairs.”

Judi Dench (Jack & Sarah, 1995)

“Everybody loves Judi Dench. That’s her quality . . . she’s lovable . . . it‘s a little alarming when you are onstage with her because she has a direct link to the audience and if you’re careful you won’t get in it. . . she has a wonderful sense of humor . . . she‘s extremely naughty, always laughing, always dieting. She says that inside her there is a very thin, tall woman screaming to get out.

“She was told, when she was young—Judi Dench, one of the great actresses of all time—by some stupid film producer, undoubtedly a man, that she didn’t have a good enough face for the camera. And she believed him! And turned down movie after movie after movie . . . these bloody men! That’s why we need more women in the cinema . . . Also she’s never had a face lift. . . . We’ve watched her get older with her face, and we love every wrinkle.“

Maggie Smith (Richard III, 1995)

“Wicked tongue, stalwart friend . . . will stand no nonsense from anybody, speaks up for herself and others—so she is universally admired and a little bit feared. The force of her acting is as strong as Judi’s is gentle.”

Amazing to read.