The Esteemed Actress Reveals Memory Struggles Yet Retains Shakespeare Verses.
The legendary performer Judi Dench has spoken candidly about the effects of aging on her eyesight and recall, revealing she frequently finds it hard to recall immediate plans – yet can easily recall long sections of Shakespearean text.
"I have no memory of what I'm doing tomorrow, I promise you," she told a magazine.
Her team verified that such reminders are at times required. Dench added that her degenerative eye condition currently causes faces to appear "blurred" even up close.
A 'Crusher' of a Condition
"It's a crusher," Dench noted, adding that it means she can no longer watching television. "I long to see Clive Myrie presenting Mastermind," she said, "however I can at least hear the questions."
Dench, who turns 91 this week, is leading a new documentary about her longstanding relationship with Shakespeare's works. Audiences will also see her in conversation with Kenneth Branagh in another programme set for broadcast over the festive period.
On Friends and Exoneration
Dench also mentioned staying in contact with actor Kevin Spacey, who was acquitted of sexual assault charges in 2023. "Kevin has been exonerated," Dench affirmed, "and I hear from Kevin, we text."
In recent months, Dench said she now requires constant help in public to avoid tripping due to her failing eyesight. She first revealed the eye condition in 2012, a degenerative issue that is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK.
Coping with New Realities
Dench has attributed the condition with her de facto retirement from film work. "I can't see on a film set any more," she explained, adding: "Reading is also impossible. But you just cope."
"It's challenging if I have any length of a part. I have not discovered a way. Because I have so many friends who will teach me the script."
Dench's most recent screen credit was a brief part in the 2022 holiday film Spirited; prior to that she had a larger role in Allelujah. That year also brought her her eighth Oscar nomination for Belfast.
A Continued Public Presence
She continues to appear frequently in public, however, such as at charity events like one last month with Ian McKellen. In May, she participated in a live sculpture to raise funds. Dench said she would not be able to see the finished sculpture, but would touch it "if permitted."
