The Esteemed Actress Shares Recollection Challenges Yet Retains Shakespeare Verses.
The legendary performer Judi Dench has opened up about the effects of growing older on her vision and memory, revealing she frequently finds it hard to remember immediate plans – yet can effortlessly recite extensive passages of Shakespearean text.
"I can't remember what I'm doing tomorrow, I promise you," she told a magazine.
Her team verified that this kind of help are at times necessary. Dench added that her degenerative eye condition currently causes faces to appear "in a fog" even when up close.
A 'Crusher' of a Condition
"It's devastating," she remarked, adding that it means she can no longer watching television. "I long to see Clive Myrie hosting Mastermind," she said, "but I can still hear the questions."
Dench, who turns 91 on Tuesday, is leading a new documentary exploring her longstanding relationship with the works of Shakespeare. She will also be seen in conversation with Kenneth Branagh in a separate show set for broadcast over the festive period.
On Friends and Exoneration
The star also discussed staying in contact with actor Kevin Spacey, who was acquitted of sexual assault charges in 2023. "Kevin has been exonerated," she stated, "and we are in contact, we text."
In recent months, Dench disclosed she now requires constant help in public to avoid tripping due to her failing eyesight. She was first diagnosed with the eye condition in 2012, a progressive disease that is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK.
Coping with New Realities
She has credited the condition with her de facto retirement from acting. "I can't see on a film set any more," she said in 2023, and continued: "And I can't see to read. But you just cope."
"It's difficult if I have any length of a part. I have not discovered a way. Since I have many companions who will help me learn the script."
Her last screen credit was a small role in the 2022 Christmas movie Spirited; prior to that she had a larger role in Allelujah. The same year also brought her her eighth Academy Award nod for Belfast.
Remaining in the Public Eye
Dench still appears frequently in public, nevertheless, including at fundraisers including a recent one last month alongside Ian McKellen. This past spring, she participated in a live sculpture to raise funds. Dench said she would not be able to see the finished sculpture, but would feel it "if permitted."
