Judi Dench Suggests She May Not Act in Films Again Due to Poor Eyesig

Posted by Fernande Dalal on Sunday, May 26, 2024
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Judi Dench might not have much of a future as an actress after 60 years in the biz ... and it's all because of her horrible vision, so says Judi herself.

Last week, the 89-year-old film legend showed up at the Chelsea Flower Show in London -- and a journo asked her if she had any projects on the horizon.

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Dench reportedly replied, "No, no. I can't even see."

While her response may come as a shock to some ... it's no secret Dench has been losing her eyesight for years. Back in 2012, she was diagnosed with advanced macular degeneration -- a disease that can result in severe loss of central vision.

Judi Dench Through The Years Gallery Launch Gallery Judi Dench Through The Years Launch Gallery Gallery Getty

While appearing on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2023, Dench revealed she was having a very hard time reading her lines in her movie scripts.

She said, "It has become impossible and because I have a photographic memory, I need to find a machine that not only teaches me my lines but also tells me where they appear on the page."

She added, "I used to find it very easy to learn lines and remember them," she said. “I could do the whole of 'Twelfth Night' right now."

But her eye issues started well before that ... in 2021, the Oscar winner explained she was calling on her friends to read her lines out loud to assist her in her movie roles.

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Still, it's not all bad news for JD ... she was nominated for a 2022 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in "Belfast" -- so, she's certainly still capable of putting on a good performance.

That same year, she had a cameo in the Christmas film, "Spirited, starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Yet, it seems retirement might be her only solution at this point.

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