Olivia Colman has been praised as the "Judi Dench of this generation" by Charles Dance.

Olivia Colman

Olivia Colman

The 45-year-old actress recently scooped the Best Actress Oscar for her role in 'The Favourite' and her co-star in 'The Crown' - who has known the former 'Peep Show' star for nearly 20 years - couldn't be happier for her.

He said: "This couldn't have happened to a nicer person.

"[When we first met] I looked at her and thought, 'This girl is going to go far.' It's her talent, which is unmistakable but she also has the rare gift of inspiring affection.

"I've known Judi Dench for years and it's the same thing with her. Olivia is the Judi Dench of this generation."

While the former 'Game of Thrones' star predicted a huge wave of opportunities will now come Olivia's way, he doesn't imagine it will change her at all.

He told Britain's Grazia magazine: "The word is her oyster. She can command every decent part that's going. And an enormous amount of money!

"She'll feel very, very lucky and she'll giggle a lot. But Olivia is no fool. I'd be astonished if this changes her in any way."

The actress also won praise from Dalton Wong, the personal trainer she worked with in a bid to lose the weight she'd gained to play Queen Anne in 'The Favourite'.

He said: "She's amazing and a lovely person.

"It was about going back to her body as it was normally. She'd come in two or three times a week and the hour would go by very quickly because she's so lovely to be around.

"How you saw her in that Oscars speech is exactly how she is."

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