Judi Dench, 90, Shares Honest Health Update Amid Retirement Rumors

Martin Holmes
3 Comments
Judi Dench
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for BFI

What To Know

  • Judi Dench revealed her deteriorating eyesight due to age-related macular degeneration has left her unable to read scripts or recognize people.
  • The 90-year-old actress, known for her acclaimed career in film and theater, has not appeared in a major scripted project since 2022.
  • Dench and fellow actor Ian McKellen are currently campaigning to bring new life to the teaching of William Shakespeare in U.K. schools.

Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench has revealed the reason for her lack of on-screen roles in recent years, noting her deteriorating eyesight has left her unable to read scripts or recognize people.

In a joint interview with fellow actor and friend Ian McKellen, Dench told an ITV News reporter, “No, you don’t [see me on camera], because I can’t see anymore,” per Deadline.

After McKellen, 86, quipped that they could see her, the Belfast star 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… I can’t see the television. I can’t see to read.”

When the X-Men actor asked if the Notes on a Scandal star ever approached “total strangers” and said,”‘Lovely to see you again,'” Dench laughed and answered, “Sometimes!”

Dench, who turns 91 on December 9, has had a long and renowned career on stage and screen, winning an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, six BAFTAs, and seven Olivier Awards. She is known for her star turns in Shakespeare in Love, Philomena, and playing M in the Daniel Craig era of James Bond.

However, her on-screen roles have wound down in recent years. Her last credit came in 2022, in a cameo in the Apple TV+ Christmas musical comedy Spirited, starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Other than a recent holiday-themed commercial in the U.K., Dench has not appeared in any other scripted TV or film.

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She previously hinted at retirement last May while attending London’s Chelsea Flower Show. When a reporter asked if she had any movies in the pipeline, Dench answered, “No, no. I can’t even see!”

Dench opened up about her age-related macular degeneration in a 2023 interview with The Daily Mirror’s Notebook. “I mean, I can’t see on a film set anymore,” she shared. “And I can’t see to read. So I can’t see much.”

“It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part,” she added. “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.”

Dench and McKellen are currently campaigning to revitalize the William Shakespeare curriculum taught in U.K. schools.

Notes on a ScandalPhilomenaShakespeare in LoveIan McKellenJudi Dench



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  1. F

    Fellaway

    I confess I've never seen any of her movies, but I loved her so much, as well as Geoffrey Palmer, in the series As Time Goes By. They were perfection. Macular degeneration runs in my family, and it can greatly affect a person's lifestyle. I wish her all the best.

  2. G

    Green Olive

    Wishing only the best for her. She is a terrific actress and a lovely woman. She will surely be missed on screen

  3. K

    KD

    Loved Judi in Chocolat, Mrs. Brown (and Victoria and Abdul), Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and of course, her turn as M in the Bond films. She has given me much joy over many decades and I wish her the very best as she deals with the loss of her sight. I'm glad to know she still has a plan and purpose for her time and is pursuing it along with her buddy, Sir Ian.