Highlights
- Dame Judi Dench says her deteriorating eyesight has left her unable to perform on stage, make films or read.
- The 91-year-old actor was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012.
- She has also spoken about struggling to recognise faces and the awkward encounters caused by her sight loss.
Dame Judi Dench has opened up about the impact of her deteriorating eyesight on her acting career, revealing that she can no longer perform on stage, make films or read.
The Oscar-winning actor, 91, was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012. The condition affects her vision and has increasingly made everyday activities, including recognising people's faces, difficult.
Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dench 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.”
Her candid admission offers a glimpse into how the condition has affected her life after more than seven decades in theatre, television and cinema.
Judi Dench opens up about living with sight loss
Dench has previously spoken about the difficulties of working with deteriorating eyesight, including struggling to see on film sets and finding it challenging to learn scripts.
She also described the awkward situations that can arise when she cannot recognise people.
The actor explained that she sometimes approaches the wrong person and nearly embraces them before realising her mistake.
Despite these challenges, she continues to make public appearances and speak openly about adapting to life with the condition. She also highlighted the importance of radio in her life, saying: “The radio has always been important to me.”
Asked about getting older, Dench replied: “There's nothing to say for it at all. [I] don't think about it too much.”
Judi Dench reflects on her celebrated career
Dench has built one of Britain's most distinguished acting careers, winning an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love in 1999.
She also became internationally recognised for playing M, the head of MI6 in the James Bond films. She made her debut as the character in GoldenEye in 1995, becoming the first woman to portray the role.
During the interview, Dench recalled meeting American actor Sidney Poitier backstage after a performance of Amy's View in New York.
Describing the moment Poitier entered her dressing room, she said: “It was thrilling.”
She also spoke about her longstanding love of William Shakespeare, recalling how watching her brother perform in Macbeth when she was nine sparked her interest in the playwright.
Dench said she was “besotted” with Shakespeare's sonnets, adding: “It's the rhythm of it. It's the rhythm of your heart.”
The interview comes ahead of the release of her memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, written with theatre director Brendan O'Hea.
Asked who she would like to see play the next James Bond, Dench simply replied: “No.”
