Dame Judi Dench: Actress says she can’t see on film sets anymore
Dame Judi Dench has said she can’t see on film sets anymore and isn’t able to read scripts due to her deteriorating eyesight.
But the Oscar-winning actress, 88, says she has alternative ways of learning lines like being taught them with the help of her friends.
She also says she has a photographic memory.
Dame Judi has previously revealed she has macular degeneration, which leads to a gradual loss of vision.
Despite the problems the eye condition can cause, the James Bond actress said she wants to work “as much as I can”.
Age-related macular degeneration affects the middle part of a person’s vision and is frequent among people aged in their 50s and 60s, the NHS website says.
It does not cause total blindness but can make everyday activities such as reading and recognising faces difficult.
The actress told The Mirror’s Notebook magazine: “I mean, 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.
“It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part. 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.”
Dame Judi has starred in many television programmes and films, including the 1998 movie Shakespeare In Love, for which she won a best actress Oscar. She is also well known for playing M, the head of MI6, alongside Daniel Craig’s Bond.
The British star has also enjoyed success on stage, winning a Tony award in 1999 for Amy’s View and also a string of Olivier awards.