Judi Dench Opens Up About Struggling with Macular Degeneration and Vision Loss
Judi Dench Opens Up About Struggles with Vision Loss
Academy and Tony Award-winning actress Judi Dench has spoken candidly about her ongoing battle with an eye condition that has significantly impaired her vision, leading her to withdraw from both stage and screen performances.
In a recent interview with ITV News alongside longtime collaborator Ian McKellen, Dench revealed, “No, you don’t [see me on camera], because I can’t see anymore.” The pair, who starred together in Macbeth in 1979, shared a light-hearted moment when McKellen joked that they could see her. Dench responded, “Yes, and I can see your outline and I know you so well, in your Macbeth scarf. But I can’t recognize anybody now.”
The acclaimed star of Notes on a Scandal further expressed her challenges, stating, “I can’t see the television, I can’t see to read.”
In a humorous exchange, McKellen playfully asked Dench if she approaches strangers saying, “Lovely to see you again,” to which she laughed and agreed, “Sometimes!”
Dench, whose illustrious career includes iconic roles in Shakespeare in Love and as M in Daniel Craig’s James Bond films, has been open about her diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration since 2012. This condition leads to central vision distortion or loss, affecting her ability to perform.
She hinted at her potential retirement last year and, in a previous statement, remarked, “It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven’t yet found a way. Because I have so many friends who will teach me the script. But I have a photographic memory.”
Her most recent work includes a cameo in the 2022 Apple TV+ Christmas musical comedy Spirited, featuring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Additionally, ITV noted her recent appearance in a UK holiday-themed advert. Furthermore, Dench and McKellen are advocating for a renewed focus on Shakespeare in English schools, proposing innovative rehearsals as teaching tools to deepen students’ understanding of the playwright’s works.
