Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench has revealed the reason for her lack of on-screen roles in recent years, noting her deteriorating eyesight has left her unable to read scripts or recognize people.
In a joint interview with fellow actor and friend Ian McKellen, Dench told an ITV News reporter, “No, you don’t [see me on camera], because I can’t see anymore,” per Deadline.
After McKellen, 86, quipped that they could see her, the Belfast star responded, “Yes, and I can see your outline, and I know you so well, in your Macbeth scarf. But I can’t recognize anybody now… I can’t see the television. I can’t see to read.”
When the X-Men actor asked if the Notes on a Scandal star ever approached “total strangers” and said,”‘Lovely to see you again,’” Dench laughed and answered, “Sometimes!”
Dench, who turns 91 on December 9, has had a long and renowned career on stage and screen, winning an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, six BAFTAs, and seven Olivier Awards. She is known for her star turns in Shakespeare in Love, Philomena, and playing M in the Daniel Craig era of James Bond.
However, her on-screen roles have wound down in recent years. Her last credit came in 2022, in a cameo in the Apple TV+ Christmas musical comedy Spirited, starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Other than a recent holiday-themed commercial in the U.K., Dench has not appeared in any other scripted TV or film.
She previously hinted at retirement last May while attending London’s Chelsea Flower Show. When a reporter asked if she had any movies in the pipeline, Dench answered, “No, no. I can’t even see!”
Dench opened up about her age-related macular degeneration in a 2023 interview with The Daily Mirror’s Notebook. “I mean, I can’t see on a film set anymore,” she shared. “And I can’t see to read. So I can’t see much.”
“It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part,” she added. “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.”
Dench and McKellen are currently campaigning to revitalize the William Shakespeare curriculum taught in U.K. schools.
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