Spectre star Judi Dench talks about her legendary career and health struggle, particularly with macular degeneration.

She also discussed whether she plans to retire soon now that she is already 88 years old and unable to read movie scripts because of deteriorating eyesight.

Judi Dench
The news about her loss of vision came as a “terrible shock to the system.”

Along with her diagnosis in 2012, the slow and terrifying idea of losing eyesight and being dependent on other people bothered the Oscar-winning star.

English Actress Judi Dench Admits Loss Of Vision Affected Her Acting Career

In her interview with Mirror UK, Shakespeare in Love actress Judi Dench revealed she could not properly read film scripts anymore, and she had to rely on the help of others:

“I mean I can’t see on a film set anymore, and I can’t see to read.

So, I can’t see much. But you know you just deal with it. Get on. It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part.

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.”

The English actress also shared during a 2021 interview with London-based charity Vision Foundation that her friends had to repeatedly read scripts aloud as it helps her memorize the lines (via The Guardian):

“You find a way of just getting about and getting over the things that you find very difficult.

I’ve had to find another way of learning lines and things, which is having great friends of mine repeat them to me over and over and over again.

So, I have to learn through repetition, and I just hope that people won’t notice too much if all the lines are completely hopeless!”

Judi Dench
Earlier this year, Dench appeared on The Graham Norton Show and admitted that her photographic memory is no longer as helpful as before

“I need to find a machine that not only teaches me my lines but also tells me where they appear on the page.

I used to find it very easy to learn lines and remember them. I could do the whole of ‘Twelfth Night’ right now.”

Judi Dench is very lucky to have friends in the industry who are willing to help her read scripts as the actress has no plans of retiring anytime soon.

Judi Dench Won’t Let Old Age And Health Condition Keep Her From Pursuing More Projects

Despite her age and the health struggles that come with it, Judi Dench remains passionate about acting and plans to make more movies.

She told BBC’s Esio Trot via RadioTimes that her age will not hinder her goals:

“I don’t want to be told I’m too old to try something. I want to see for myself if I can’t do it rather than be told you might have a fall or you can’t learn your lines. Let me have a go. Let us all have a go. Age is a number.”

Judi Dench
Dench added that it drives her mad every time people ask if she’s planning to retire soon.

As one of the most celebrated actresses of all time, with a career spanning over six decades, Dench remains a household name in the English cinema and theater.

Some of Judi Dench’s prestigious accolades include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, seven Laurence Olivier Awards, and ten BAFTAs for TV and Film.

Her most recent project includes Richard Eyre’s Allelujah, which is available to watch on Prime Video.