United Kingdom, Feb. 17 -- Dame Judi Dench lost her voice for two days after being scared by a snake.

The 90-year-old actress has been scared of slithering creatures since she was a child when she got a worm caught in her sandal - and Judi has revealed her terror reached new heights when she landed a role in a 1987 National Theatre production of William Shakespeare's 'Antony and Cleopatra' which featured live snakes on stage.

Speaking in new BBC Radio 4 documentary 'Roleplay', Judi revealed her late husband Michael Williams - who died in 2001 - came up with a way to ease her fears.

She explained: "I came home and told Michael about the snakes. He said, 'Jude, you know what you should do. Give them names.'

"We came up with Wilson, Kepp...