Dame Judi Dench said her long battle with macular degeneration has finally ended her ability to work on stage or screen, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she can no longer read scripts well enough to take on new acting roles.
"I can't do a play, a film or read any more," Dench said in the interview, a stark and emotional admission from an actress whose career has spanned more than six decades, encompassing acclaimed stage work, seven Academy Award nominations and an Oscar win for her role in "Shakespeare in Love." Dench has spoken publicly about her deteriorating eyesight for several years, previously describing methods she used to keep working — including having scripts read aloud to her and relying on her memory of blocking and cues — but Wednesday's comments suggested those workarounds are no longer sufficient.
A Six-Decade Career
Dench's career includes landmark performances across Shakespearean theater, television and film, with roles ranging from M in the James Bond franchise to her Oscar-winning turn as Queen Elizabeth I. She has remained one of Britain's most recognizable and beloved performers well into her nineties, continuing to take selective screen roles even as her eyesight worsened in recent years.
The condition, age-related macular degeneration, gradually damages the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision, and is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults. There is no cure, though some treatments can slow its progression in certain forms of the disease. Dench's willingness to discuss the condition candidly has been credited by eye-health advocates with raising public awareness of a disease that affects millions of older adults but receives comparatively little public attention.