The Esteemed Actress Shares Memory Challenges Yet Retains Shakespeare Verses.
The legendary performer Judi Dench has opened up about the effects of aging on her eyesight and memory, revealing she often struggles to recall upcoming appointments – yet can effortlessly recite extensive passages of the Bard's work.
"I have no memory of what I'm doing tomorrow, I promise you," she told the Radio Times.
Her team verified that this kind of help are sometimes required. Dench added that her degenerative eye condition currently causes faces to appear "blurred" even up close.
A Condition That 'Crushes'
"It's a crusher," Dench noted, explaining that it means she can no longer watching television. "I long to see Clive Myrie hosting Mastermind," she said, "however I can at least hear the questions."
The actress, celebrating 91 this week, is leading a new documentary about her deep connection with the works of Shakespeare. Audiences will also see her being interviewed by Kenneth Branagh in a separate show airing over the Christmas holidays.
On Friends and Exoneration
Dench also mentioned remaining in touch with fellow actor Kevin Spacey, who was acquitted of sexual assault charges in 2023. "Kevin has been exonerated," she stated, "and I hear from Kevin, we text."
In recent months, Dench said she needs full-time assistance in public for fear of tripping due to her failing eyesight. She was first diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012, a progressive disease that is the primary reason of vision loss in the UK.
Adapting to Change
Dench has attributed the condition with her de facto retirement from film work. "I can no longer see properly on set," she said in 2023, and continued: "And I can't see to read. But you just deal with it."
"It's difficult if I have any length of a part. I have not discovered a way. Because I have many companions who will help me learn the script."
Her last screen credit was a brief part in the 2022 Christmas movie 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
Dench still appears frequently in public, however, such as at charity events including a recent one last month with Ian McKellen. In May, she was sculpted live to raise funds. She noted she could not see the finished sculpture, but would touch it "if permitted."