Judi Dench said her eyesight has declined to the point that she can no longer recognize people or read.
The 89-year-old discussed the effects of advanced macular degeneration during a recent ITV interview alongside fellow actor Ian McKellen.
When asked why she stepped away from performing, Dench said the loss of vision was the motivating factor.
"I can't see anymore. I've got, you know, that thing," she told the outlet.
She explained that while she can identify shapes, she can't make out faces.
"Yes, and I can see your outline, and I know you so well. But I can't recognize anybody now. … I can't see the television, I can't see to read."
McKellen responded jokingly, noting that her impairment has not kept audiences from seeing her on screen or stage.
He then asked whether the condition had ever led her to greet strangers by mistake, saying, "But do you go up to total strangers and say, 'Lovely to see you again?'"
Dench replied, "Sometimes."
Dench first revealed her diagnosis in 2012 and has continued to speak publicly about the steady deterioration of her vision.
She has said the condition has made it hard for her to read scripts or see well enough to work on set.
"I can't see on a film set anymore. And I can't see to read, so I can't see much. But, you know, you just deal with it. Get on," she previously told the Daily Mirror.
She noted that she hoped to keep working but would need new techniques to memorize lines.
"It's difficult for me if I have any length of a part," she said. "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."
Her reduced workload has been a topic in other interviews.
In 2022, during an appearance on "Louis Theroux Interviews," Dench said she did not wish to retire but was limited in what she could do.
According to The Independent, she said she was "not doing anything much at the moment" because she could not see well enough to manage her usual responsibilities.
When asked about the severity, she responded: "Bad. Bad enough. Bad enough in that you're quite fuzzy. You're just a tad fuzzy."
Dench also recounted attending a dinner in a dim setting where she could not see her plate, relying on a friend to cut her food and hand it to her.
She said such situations highlight the day-to-day adjustments required as her vision declines.
Even with these obstacles, Dench has said she can still appear on stage in controlled environments where she will not risk falling.
Memorizing lines remains one of the most difficult tasks because she cannot read them.
"I've got to teach myself a new way of learning," she said. "I've realized that I need to know where it is on the page. I'll teach myself a way. I know I will, as long as I don't trip over doing it."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.