In a candid interview with The Mirror, renowned actress Judi Dench revealed that her worsening eyesight has become a significant obstacle in her work. The 88-year-old “James Bond” star shared that her degenerative eye condition, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), has compromised her vision while working on film sets.
“I mean, I can’t see on a film set anymore,” Dench said, acknowledging the challenges she faces due to her condition. “And I can’t see to read, so I can’t see much. But you know, you just deal with it. Get on.”
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Dench was diagnosed with AMD in 2012, a condition that affects the central vision, making it difficult for individuals to see faces, read, drive, or perform other close-up tasks. Although it doesn’t cause complete blindness, the gradual loss of central vision can significantly impact daily activities.
The actress also shared her struggles with learning lines for roles, stating that her photographic memory had made it easy in the past, but now, with her AMD, it has become increasingly difficult. “I need to find a machine that not only teaches me my lines but also tells me where they appear on the page,” Dench explained during a previous appearance on “The Graham Norton Show.”
Despite the challenges, Dench remains resilient, finding alternative ways to cope with her condition. During a Vision Foundation benefit in 2021, she said, “You find a way of just getting about and getting over the things that you find very difficult. I’ve had to find another way of learning lines and things, which is having great friends of mine repeat them to me over and over and over again. So, I have to learn through repetition, and I just hope that people won’t notice too much if all the lines are completely hopeless!”
AMD is a common eye disease among older adults, causing blurring of central vision due to damage to the macula, the part of the eye responsible for sharp, straight-ahead vision. The disease progresses at varying rates from person to person, with two main types: dry AMD and wet AMD. Dry AMD involves the thinning of the macula with age and typically progresses slowly, while wet AMD leads to faster vision loss due to abnormal blood vessels growing in the back of the eye and damaging the macula.
Despite the challenges posed by her AMD, Judi Dench continues to be an inspiration, showing resilience and determination in her work and life. Her ability to adapt and overcome obstacles demonstrates her enduring talent and unwavering spirit in the face of adversity.