More than a decade after she was first diagnosed, Dame Judi Dench‘s vision loss has taken her off the stage and screen.
The Oscar winner recently revealed that she “can’t do a play anymore” and “can’t do a film anymore” following her diagnosis with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012.
“I can’t be on stage,” said Dench on BBC Radio 4’s Today. “I can’t do a play anymore. I can’t do a film anymore. I can’t read anymore.”
Dench noted that her vision loss has resulted in some awkward moments, as she has approached to wrong person “and give them an almost hug” on multiple occasions.
While Dench is effectively retired from the stage and screen, she still plans to make public appearances and speak about her condition, noting “the radio has always been important to me.”
Having first revealed her AMD diagnosis in 2012, which is a disease that blurs a person’s central vision by causing damage to the macula, Dench has discussed her potential retirement in recent years.
Dench most recently voiced a smart fridge invented by Claire Foy’s Polly in The Magic Faraway Tree, which premiered earlier this year, based on Enid Blyton’s book series. Her last onscreen appearances include roles in Belfast (2021) and Allelujah (2022), as well as a cameo in Spirited (2022).