Judi Dench reveals severe vision loss due to macular degeneration

British actress Judi Dench has revealed the severe impact of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) on her daily life and professional work. During an episode of the documentary series ‘Tea with Judi Dench’, Dench spoke with long-time friend and collaborator Ian McKellen about her deteriorating vision.

Dench stated that she can no longer recognize faces, watch television, or read. She explained that while she can still perceive light and general outlines, she cannot see fine details. This condition has forced her to change how she prepares for roles; she can no longer read scripts traditionally and must rely on people in her inner circle to read lines to her repeatedly until she memorizes them.

Dench noted that she focuses on living in the present because she does not dare to look toward the future due to the severity of her sight loss. She has previously mentioned that the condition makes it difficult to move around alone due to the risk of tripping or falling.