🔗 Share this article

The legendary actress Judi Dench has spoken candidly about the effects of aging on her vision and recall, stating she often struggles to remember immediate plans – yet can easily recall long sections of the Bard's work.

"I can't remember what I'm doing tomorrow, I promise you," she told the Radio Times.

Her team confirmed that this kind of help are at times required. She further mentioned that her degenerative eye condition currently causes faces to appear "in a fog" even when up close.

A Condition That 'Crushes'

"It's a crusher," she remarked, explaining that it means she can no longer watching television. "I long to see Clive Myrie presenting Mastermind," she said, "but I can at least hear the questions."

Dench, who turns 91 on Tuesday, is fronting a new documentary about her longstanding relationship with Shakespeare's works. She will also be seen in conversation with Kenneth Branagh in a separate show airing over the festive period.

Regarding Friends and Acquittals

The star also discussed staying in contact with actor Kevin Spacey, who was acquitted of sexual assault charges in 2023. "Kevin has been exonerated," she stated, "and I hear from Kevin, we text."

In recent months, Dench said she needs constant help in public to avoid tripping due to her vision problems. She was first diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012, a degenerative disease that is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK.

Coping with New Realities

Dench has attributed the condition with her de facto retirement from acting. "I can't see on a film set any more," she explained, and continued: "Reading is also impossible. But you just cope."

"It's challenging if I have any length of a part. I have not discovered a way. Because I have so many friends who will teach me the script."

Dench's most recent film appearance was a brief part in the 2022 holiday film Spirited; earlier that year she had a more substantial part in Allelujah. The same year also earned her her eighth Academy Award nod for Belfast.

Remaining in the Public Eye

She continues to appear often at events, however, such as at charity events including a recent one last month with Ian McKellen. In May, she participated in a live sculpture to raise funds. She noted she could not see the final artwork, but would touch it "if they let me."