# Dame Judi Dench says failing eyesight prevents acting and reading

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/dame-judi-dench-i-cant-do-a-play-a-film-or-read-any-more/
- Published: 2026-10-22T06:57:08+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-22T07:07:52+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Entertainment (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6ly09v09lnjo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Judi Dench says sight loss means she can no longer act or read.
- She was diagnosed with macular degeneration in 2012.
- The 91-year-old has had a career spanning more than seven decades.

## Summary

Dame Judi Dench says deteriorating eyesight has left her unable to perform on stage or in films, or read. The 91-year-old’s comments show how age-related macular degeneration has increasingly affected both her work and daily life.

Diagnosed in 2012, Dench says she struggles to recognise faces and can mistakenly approach people. Her career has spanned more than seven decades, including an Oscar-winning role in *Shakespeare in Love* and playing “M” in the James Bond films. She made the remarks in a radio interview after the release of her memoir, written with theatre director Brendan O’Hea.

## Coverage

- [BBC Entertainment: Dame Judi Dench says failing eyesight prevents acting and reading](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6ly09v09lnjo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)
- [Daily Mail: Dame Judi Dench, 91, reveals she cannot act on stage or in films or read a book as she battles eye condition](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16228875/Dame-Judi-Dench-act-stage-films-read-book-eye-condition.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.