🔗 Share this article

The iconic actress Judi Dench has spoken candidly about the impact of aging on her eyesight and memory, stating she often struggles to remember upcoming appointments – but can easily recall long sections of Shakespearean text.

"I have no memory of what I'm doing tomorrow, I promise you," she told a magazine.

Her assistants verified that this kind of help are sometimes necessary. Dench added that her degenerative eye condition now means faces to appear "in a fog" even up close.

A Condition That 'Crushes'

"It's a crusher," Dench noted, adding that it prevents her from watching television. "I long to see Clive Myrie presenting Mastermind," she said, "however I can still hear the questions."

Dench, who turns 91 on Tuesday, is fronting a new documentary about her deep connection with the works of Shakespeare. She will also be seen being interviewed by Kenneth Branagh in another programme set for broadcast over the Christmas holidays.

On Friends and Exoneration

Dench also mentioned remaining in touch with actor Kevin Spacey, who was acquitted of assault allegations in 2023. "Kevin has been exonerated," Dench affirmed, "and I hear from Kevin, we text."

Earlier this year, Dench disclosed she needs full-time assistance in public for fear of falling over due to her failing eyesight. She was first diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012, a progressive disease that is the leading cause of vision loss in the UK.

Coping with New Realities

She has credited the condition with her effective stepping back from acting. "I can no longer see properly on set," she said in 2023, 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."

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

Remaining in the Public Eye

Dench still appears frequently in public, nevertheless, including at fundraisers like one last month with Ian McKellen. In May, she participated in a live sculpture for charity. She noted she would not be able to see the finished sculpture, but would touch it "if they let me."