The iconic performer Judi Dench has opened up about the impact of aging on her eyesight and memory, stating she often struggles to recall upcoming appointments – but can easily recall long sections of Shakespearean text.
"I have no memory of what I'm doing tomorrow, I swear to you," she told the Radio Times.
Her team verified that this kind of help are sometimes required. Dench added that her age-related macular degeneration currently causes faces to appear "blurred" even when up close.
"It's a crusher," she remarked, explaining that it prevents her from watching television. "I miss seeing Clive Myrie hosting Mastermind," she continued, "but I can at least hear the questions."
Dench, who turns 91 on Tuesday, is fronting a new documentary exploring her longstanding relationship with Shakespeare's works. She will also be seen being interviewed by Kenneth Branagh in a separate show set for broadcast over the festive period.
The star also discussed staying in contact with fellow actor Kevin Spacey, who was acquitted of sexual assault charges in 2023. "Kevin has been exonerated," Dench affirmed, "and we are in contact, we text."
Earlier this year, Dench said she now requires full-time assistance in public to avoid falling over due to her failing eyesight. She was first diagnosed with the eye condition in 2012, a progressive disease that is the leading cause of vision loss in the UK.
She has credited the condition with her de facto retirement from film work. "I can no longer see properly on set," she explained, and continued: "Reading is also impossible. But you just cope."
"It's challenging if I have any length of a part. I haven't yet found a way. Since I have many companions who will teach me the script."
Her last screen credit was a brief part in the 2022 Christmas movie Spirited; prior to that she had a more substantial part in Allelujah. That year also earned her her eighth Academy Award nod for Belfast.
Dench still appears often at events, nevertheless, such as at charity events like one last month alongside Ian McKellen. In May, she participated in a live sculpture for charity. Dench said she would not be able to see the finished sculpture, but would touch it "if permitted."
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