Dame Judi Dench Says She Can No Longer Act as Eyesight Worsens
Dame Judi Dench, the 91-year-old Oscar-winning actress, has said her deteriorating eyesight means she can no longer perform. Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday, she said: "I can't be on stage. I can't do a play any more. I can't do a film any more. I can't read any more," according to reports from People, Page Six and Radio Times.
The interview on BBC Radio 4
Dench described how advanced age-related macular degeneration has affected her daily life. She told Barnett that she could not see the host's "face at all," People reported, and said she now struggles to recognise people — sometimes approaching strangers and nearly hugging them before realising her mistake, as Page Six reported. She also shared a quiet detail: "They said this summer was absolutely sensational with bluebells; I couldn't see one," according to Page Six. Calling ageing "rubbish," she said she simply has to "adjust to all that, and make allowances for it. And just get on and don't think about it too much," People reported.
A diagnosis that goes back to 2012
Dench revealed she has age-related macular degeneration in 2012, the outlets reported. The condition damages the central retina and is a leading cause of vision loss among older adults, with no cure. In July 2023 she reflected on the condition with the Mirror's Notebook magazine, calling it "the most terrible shock to the system" and adding: "It's terrible to be so dependent on people," according to Page Six. Her admission on Thursday effectively marks the public end of one of the most decorated acting careers in British history — she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her eight-minute turn as Queen Elizabeth I in 1998's Shakespeare in Love, and her last major film role was 2022's Allelujah.
A memoir, and a stage full of memories
Dench joined the interview with longtime friend and theatre director Brendan O'Hea, who praised her for finding other ways to express herself, People reported. She has just published a memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, written alongside O'Hea, according to Radio Times. Speaking about her life beyond acting, she remained characteristically dry about ageing itself: "There's nothing to say for it at all. [I] don't think about it too much," Radio Times reported.
Sources: BBC Radio 4's Today programme; People; Page Six; Radio Times; Parade; IOL.