--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I played Iris Murdoch, who had not long…" description: "\"I played Iris Murdoch, who had not long died, and I felt the responsibility very heavy on my shoulders.\" — Judi Dench" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/judi-dench-8919_actor_i-played-iris-murdoch-who-had-not-long-d_27527.png" --- # I played Iris Murdoch, who had not long died, and I felt… ![“I played Iris Murdoch, who had not long died, and I felt the responsibility very heavy on my shoulders.” quote by Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/judi-dench-8919_actor_i-played-iris-murdoch-who-had-not-long-d_27527.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/judi-dench-8919_actor_i-played-iris-murdoch-who-had-not-long-d_27527.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/judi-dench-8919_actor_i-played-iris-murdoch-who-had-not-long-d_27527.png) > “I played Iris Murdoch, who had not long died, and I felt the responsibility very heavy on my shoulders.” [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on embodying a recently deceased actress, feeling a profound sense of duty to honor her legacy. **In simple terms:** Feeling burdened by artistic inheritance. Key Takeaway Respecting and preserving a predecessor's impact. Themes legacy responsibility artistic integrity memory honor Mood reflective somber Type personal anecdote reflective insight When to use this quote - stage performance - film role - tribute event - award ceremony Key Concepts identity performance heritage Practical Applications - biographical acting - cultural remembrance Questions to Reflect On - How does portraying someone influence your own identity? - What responsibilities arise when representing a real person? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Felt Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-responsibility-416485/) [Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy/) [Heavy Shoulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy-shoulders-416487/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iris-murdoch-2/) [Irises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irises/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Played Iris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played-iris-416484/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Responsibility Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility-heavy-416486/) [Shoulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoulders/) ## Related quotes > [You have the older generation like Iris Murdoch and Angus Wilson who are not as old as Graham Greene, but still are coming on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/you-have-the-older-generation-like-iris-murdoch-and-angus-wilson-who/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [Iris Murdoch did influence my early novels very much, and influence is never entirely good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-n-wilson/iris-murdoch-did-influence-my-early-novels-very-much-and-influence-is/) [A. N. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-n-wilson/) > [“You have me. Don’t you know by now that I’d do anything for you? When the world gets heavy on your shoulders I’ll carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-frazier/you-have-me-don-t-you-know-by-now-that-i-d-do-anything-for-you-when/) [T.M. Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-frazier/) > [“life weighs heavy upon my shoulders and patience starts wearing thin, it is divine hope and dreams which sustain me, pushing me forth against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-a-o-neal/life-weighs-heavy-upon-my-shoulders-and-patience-starts-wearing-thin/) [Terry a O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-a-o-neal/) > [I felt quite a responsibility when I played Elizabeth I but nobody here remembers her! 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It is one of the greatest divisions of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/there-is-a-gulf-fixed-between-those-who-can-sleep-and-those-who/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Your failure to enjoy a highly rated novel doesn't mean you're dim - you may find that Graham Greene is more to your taste,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/your-failure-to-enjoy-a-highly-rated-novel-doesn-t-mean-you-re-dim/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“Even those novelists most commonly deemed “philosophical” have sometimes answered with an emphatic no. Iris Murdoch, the longtime Oxford philosopher and author of some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/even-those-novelists-most-commonly-deemed-philosophical-have/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“The novel, then, provides a reduction of the world different from that of the treatise. It has to lie. Words, thoughts, patterns of word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-kermode/the-novel-then-provides-a-reduction-of-the-world-different-from-that/) [Frank Kermode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-kermode/) > [“We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality" says Iris Murdoch. But given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-live-in-a-fantasy-world-a-world-of-illusion-the-great-task-in-life/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [I felt a responsibility to present a viable alternative to the popular electric sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-carter/i-felt-a-responsibility-to-present-a-viable-alternative-to-the/) [Ron Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-carter/) > [“But what were you supposed to do with that weight? Once it was on you? Just be a man? Just suck it up? Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-nelson/but-what-were-you-supposed-to-do-with-that-weight-once-it-was-on-you/) [Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-nelson/) > [I feel particularly passionate about being a part of 'Rillington Place' because I've never had a job where I've felt so much responsibility and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-comer/i-feel-particularly-passionate-about-being-a-part-of-rillington-place/) [Jodie Comer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-comer/) ## More by Judi Dench > [Everything, every part that you approach has to be somehow rooted in yourself. You have to somehow root everything so that it's not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/everything-every-part-that-you-approach-has-to-be-somehow-rooted-in/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [I can't read scripts any more because of the trouble with my eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/i-can-t-read-scripts-any-more-because-of-the-trouble-with-my-eyes/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [I am so thrilled to be nominated for something I loved working on every single day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/i-am-so-thrilled-to-be-nominated-for-something-i-loved-working-on/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Work certainly does help fill a void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/work-certainly-does-help-fill-a-void/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [It is true that there are few plays of Shakespeare that I haven't done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/it-is-true-that-there-are-few-plays-of-shakespeare-that-i-haven-t-done/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Frankly, I never had any intense desire to go to India. 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I had a movie career which wasn't supposed to be, so I couldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/filming-is-completely-was-totally-new-to-me-i-had-a-movie-career/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Never fall out of love with life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/never-fall-out-of-love-with-life/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [In the theatre you can change things ever so slightly; it's an organic thing. Whereas in film you only have that chance on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/in-the-theatre-you-can-change-things-ever-so-slightly-it-s-an-organic/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Children have become disengaged from nature and we need to reintroduce them to the pleasure that it brings. 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