Dame Judi Dench, the revered Academy Award-winning actress celebrated for her iconic portrayal of ‘M’ in the James Bond series, has provided a poignant update on her deteriorating eyesight, revealing the condition has severely impacted her professional and personal life. In a candid interview with ITV News, the 90-year-old theatrical legend disclosed she can no longer recognize faces, read scripts, or watch television due to advanced macular degeneration.
Speaking alongside her longtime friend and collaborator Sir Ian McKellen, Dench described the practical realities of her vision loss. When met with a light-hearted remark from McKellen, she responded with characteristic wit, noting she could only perceive his outline and recognized him by his distinctive scarf. The actress confirmed that the degenerative eye disease, which damages the central retina and causes progressive central vision distortion, has made continuing her acting career nearly impossible.
Dench first publicly addressed her diagnosis with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012. Over the past decade, the condition has advanced significantly, prompting her to scale back her professional commitments. She revealed in previous interviews that she relies on friends to help her learn scripts due to her inability to read them herself, despite having what she describes as a ‘photographic memory.’
With a career spanning seven remarkable decades, Dench has accumulated an extraordinary collection of honors including an Oscar, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and multiple BAFTA and Olivier Awards. Her most recent appearance was a 2022 cameo in the Apple TV+ holiday film ‘Spirited.’ Her openness about her vision struggles provides a sobering look at the challenges facing performers with age-related health conditions.