Film legend and Oscar-winner Judi Dench seemingly implied in late May that her career has come to a close due to the crippling effects of advanced macular degeneration.
Dench has been heavily immersed in the entertainment industry for six decades. The 89-year-old star recently addressed her debilitating health condition at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, when a journalist asked if she had any upcoming projects on the horizon.
She responded by saying, “No, no. I can’t even see,” according to TMZ.
The famous actress has opened up about losing her eyesight in the past, but this was her first public declaration that she was unable to work.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 23: Dame Judi Dench attends the Royal World Premiere of ‘Skyfall’ at the Royal Albert Hall on October 23, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
Dench is best known for her roles in “Shakespeare In Love,” “Chocolat,” the James Bond franchise, “Philomena,” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Mrs Brown” and many more.
She was first diagnosed with the disease, which can cause severe loss of central vision, in 2012, according to TMZ.
The famous actress appeared on “The Graham Norton Show” in 2023 and admitted she faced many challenges when she had to read the lines in her movie scripts.
English actress Judi Dench as Sally Bowles in a photocall for Harold Prince’s production of ‘Cabaret’ at the Palace Theatre, London, 27th February 1968. (Photo by Fred Mott/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
“It has become impossible, and because I have a photographic memory, I need to find a machine that not only teaches me my lines but also tells me where they appear on the page,” she said at the time. (RELATED: ‘I Would Have Been Dead In 8 Months’: ‘Seinfeld’ Actor Michael Richards Reveals Cancer Diagnosis)
She went on to explain her frustration. “I used to find it very easy to learn lines and remember them.”
“I could do the whole of ‘Twelfth Night’ right now.”
The earliest documented reports of her fading vision date back to 2021, when the actress said she relied on her friends to read her lines out loud, and she would then memorize them, according to TMZ.
