Judi Dench is giving more details about how her failing eyesight has changed her life in major ways.
Videos by Suggest
On Oct. 22, the legendary actress appeared on BBC 4’s Today program. During the interview, she opened up about how having macular degeneration is affecting her.
“I can’t be on stage. I can’t do a play anymore. I can’t do a film anymore. I can’t read anymore,” she told host Emma Barnett.
Despite her deteriorating eyesight, the 91-year-old veteran is still living her life.
“So you’ve got to adjust to all that and make allowances for it. And just get on and don’t think about it too much,” she said.
Dench told Barnett she couldn’t see her “face at all.” And that not being able to see has led to quite a few mishaps in public.
“I go up to lots of the wrong people and give them an almost hug and say, ‘Oh, sorry, didn’t realize,’” she said.
Dench’s friend and fellow actor Brendan O’Hea joined her for the interview, and marvelled at the Academy Award winning actress’ ability to move on after being forced to stop acting.
“You’re not letting it defeat you,” O’Hea said. “I know it gets you down, but you don’t allow it to defeat you.”
But Dench shared that she missed a lot of the everyday parts of her life, like being able to see flowers.
“They said this summer was absolutely sensational with bluebells; I couldn’t see one,” she said. “But I know what my trees look like, and part of it is in my memory and part of it is about hopefully what I can make out.”
When talking to friend and fellow veteran actor Ian McKellen last year, she admitted she “can’t recognize anybody now.”
And she revealed that she can no longer go out alone due to her failing eyesight.
“Somebody will always be with me,” Dench said during an appearance on Trinny Woodall’s Fearless podcast. “I have to now because I can’t see, and I will walk into something or fall over.”