Judi Dench, 90, Reveals Health Condition’s Toll on Career

When Dame Judi Dench released a statement to Reuters in 2012 that revealed she was suffering from a degenerative eye condition, she voiced her hope that it would “not lead to blindness.” Now, 13 years later, the beloved actress admits she “can’t see anymore” due to her progressing macular degeneration.

Dench, an Oscar-winning actress and star of the Daniel Craig-era James Bond films, sat down with ITV News for an emotional interview, during which she gave an update on her vision. When the interviewer noted, “We don’t often see you on camera these days,” Dench provided a straightforward explanation: “No, we don’t, because I can’t see anymore.”

The disclosure happened as she sat next to fellow actor Sir Ian McKellen, 86, for an interview ahead of their Macbeth production’s 50th anniversary.

“But we can see you,” McKellen said in response to Dench’s admission. Dench and McKellen have a professional and personal relationship spanning six decades, which began when the two costarred in the 1976 stage production (and subsequent 1979 film adaptation) of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

“And I can see your outline,” Dench replied, pointing out that she knows McKellen so well that he is recognizable to her, especially in his “Macbeth scarf,” a colorful plaid around McKellen’s neck. When it comes to other people, though, Dench said she could not “recognize anybody now.”

Dench thinks that her condition might have led people to have the wrong idea of her. “People think, ‘Oh, get her, she’s got very grand,’” she said. But such speculators would do well to reserve judgment, as Dench has a simple reason for avoiding the spotlight now: “It’s because I can’t see,” she explained, adding that she cannot see the television or read anymore.

“But do you go up to total strangers and say, ‘It’s lovely to see you again’?” McKellen joked. “Yes, sometimes,” Dench said, laughing.

Macular degeneration is an age-related eye disease that is unlikely to cause complete vision loss but does affect central vision, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It can appear at any age, but is more common in people over 50. Although there is no cure for the condition yet, there are treatments. In January 2025, Dench revealed she could no longer leave her house without a companion.

While Dench is keeping a relatively low public profile, her commitment to theater and supporting the next generation of performers remains steadfast. Dench and McKellen now back the Shakespeare Curriculum, a new online platform to help students learn about Shakespeare.