The Esteemed Actress Shares Memory Struggles But Holds Onto The Bard's Lines.
The legendary performer Judi Dench has opened up about the effects of growing older on her eyesight and recall, revealing she often struggles to recall immediate plans – yet can effortlessly recite long sections of Shakespearean text.
"I have no memory of what I'm doing tomorrow, I swear to you," she told a magazine.
Her team confirmed that such reminders are sometimes necessary. Dench added that her degenerative eye condition currently causes faces to appear "in a fog" even when up close.
A 'Crusher' of a Condition
"It's devastating," she remarked, explaining that it means she can no longer watching television. "I long to see Clive Myrie presenting Mastermind," she said, "however I can at least hear the questions."
The actress, celebrating 91 this week, 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 airing over the Christmas holidays.
On Friends and Exoneration
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 we are in contact, we text."
Earlier this year, Dench disclosed she needs constant help in public for fear of falling over due to her failing eyesight. She was first diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012, a degenerative disease that is the primary reason of vision loss in the UK.
Coping with New Realities
Dench has attributed the condition with her effective stepping back from film work. "I can't see on a film set any more," she said in 2023, adding: "Reading is also impossible. But you just deal with it."
"It's difficult if I have any length of a part. I have not discovered a way. Since I have so many friends who will teach me the script."
Her last screen credit was a small role in the 2022 holiday film Spirited; earlier that year she had a more substantial part in Allelujah. That year also earned her her eighth Academy Award nod for Belfast.
A Continued Public Presence
She continues to appear often at events, however, including at fundraisers including a recent one last month with Ian McKellen. This past spring, she was sculpted live to raise funds. She noted she would not be able to see the finished sculpture, but would feel it "if they let me."
