Judi Dench Says She Can No Longer Act on Stage or in Films as Incurable Eye Condition Steals Her Sight at 91

Dame Judi Dench, the Oscar-winning actor whose career has spanned more than seven decades, says a worsening eye condition has left her unable to perform on stage or on screen, in one of her most candid accounts yet of how sight loss has reshaped her life.

Dench, 91, has age-related macular degeneration, an incurable condition she was diagnosed with in 2012. The disease has made it increasingly difficult for her to recognize faces and read scripts.

Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's "Today" program, Dench gave a stark assessment of what the condition has taken from her.

"I can't be on stage. I can't do a play any more. I can't do a film any more. I can't read any more," she said.

The interview came ahead of the release of her new memoir, "Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?", written with theater director Brendan O'Hea.

A gradual loss of sight

Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision. People with the condition often lose the ability to see fine detail directly in front of them, making it difficult to read, drive or recognize faces, while their peripheral vision may remain largely intact.

It is one of the leading causes of sight loss among older adults. There is no cure, although some treatments can slow the progression of certain forms of the disease.

For Dench, the effects have reached into everyday life. She has described approaching people she believed she knew and nearly embracing them before realizing they were strangers.

Her worsening sight has also made the practical work of acting increasingly difficult, from learning lines to finding her way around film sets.

In earlier interviews, Dench described relying on friends and family to read scripts aloud so she could learn her lines, drawing on a strong memory to continue working after her diagnosis. But she has said in recent years that the condition had made it ever harder to continue performing.

Reflections on age and radio

Asked about growing older, Dench offered a characteristically blunt answer.

"There's nothing to say for it at all. [I] don't think about it too much," she said.

She also spoke of her enduring attachment to radio, a medium that relies on the voice rather than sight.

"The radio has always been important to me," Dench said.

During the conversation, Dench reflected on moments from her long career, including meeting Sidney Poitier backstage after a New York performance of "Amy's View."

"It was thrilling," she said.

She also spoke about her lifelong love of Shakespeare, saying she was besotted with his sonnets.

"It's the rhythm of it. It's the rhythm of your heart," she said.

Dench traced her passion for Shakespeare back to her childhood, when, at age 9, she watched her brother perform in "Macbeth."

When asked who should play the next James Bond, a franchise in which she played a major role for nearly two decades, she offered a one-word reply: "No."

A celebrated career

Born in York, England, in 1934, Dench became one of the most respected actors of her generation, moving easily between classical theater, television and film.

She built her reputation on the stage, particularly in Shakespeare, with a long association with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. She won numerous theater awards, including multiple Olivier Awards, and was made a dame in 1988.

International film audiences came to know her later in her career. She won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 1999 for her eight-minute turn as Queen Elizabeth I in "Shakespeare in Love," a performance that became one of the most famous examples of a small role leaving a major impression.

She earned several other Oscar nominations for roles in films including "Mrs. Brown," "Iris," "Notes on a Scandal," "Philomena" and "Belfast."

Dench also became a fixture of one of cinema's biggest franchises when she took on the role of M, the head of Britain's MI6 intelligence service, in the James Bond films. She first appeared in the role in "GoldenEye" in 1995, becoming the first woman to play the character, and continued through several films opposite Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

On television, she was beloved in Britain for the long-running sitcom "As Time Goes By."

Raising awareness

Dench's openness about her condition has drawn attention to the challenges faced by people living with sight loss, particularly older adults.

Health experts say regular eye examinations are important for detecting macular degeneration early, especially for people over 50. Symptoms can include blurred or distorted central vision, difficulty reading and trouble recognizing faces. Some forms of the disease can progress quickly, making prompt treatment important.

Charities that support people with sight loss have long noted that the condition can have a significant emotional toll, as people lose the ability to do things they once took for granted, from reading to driving to recognizing loved ones.

A new memoir

Dench's new memoir, written with O'Hea, follows their earlier collaboration, "Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent," in which Dench reflected on her decades of performing Shakespeare's plays.

Despite the losses she described, Dench has remained engaged with her work and her audiences, continuing to give interviews and share stories from her career.

Her latest remarks were met with an outpouring of sympathy from fans, many of whom have followed her career from the stage to the screen.

While her days of acting may be behind her, Dench's account offered a reminder of the extraordinary range of work she has produced, and of the resilience she has shown in the face of a condition that has gradually taken away so much of what she loved.