Judi Dench says she can no longer see on film sets due to macular degeneration eye condition
Actress Judi Dench opened up about her worsening eyesight becoming an obstacle in her work.
In an interview with The Mirror published Sunday, the "James Bond" star said her degenerative eye condition has comprised her vision while working. "I mean, I can’t see on a film set anymore," the 88-year-old actress told the British outlet. "And I can’t see to read, so I can’t see much. But you know, you just deal with it. Get on.
"It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven’t yet found a way because I have so many friends who will teach me the script. But I have a photographic memory."
Dench was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012, per The Mirror. While the disease doesn't cause complete blindness, per the National Eye Institute, it diminishes a person's central vision, making it harder to see faces, read, drive, or do other close-up work.
What else has Judi Dench said about her eyesight?
During a February appearance on "The Graham Norton Show," Dench said her condition had made learning lines for roles increasingly difficult.
"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," Dench said at the time, according to People magazine and Deadline. "I used to find it very easy to learn lines and remember them. I could do the whole of (William Shakespeare's) 'Twelfth Night' right now."
Dench previously addressed her condition during a 2021 Vision Foundation benefit, according to The Guardian, which reported her comments at the time.
"You find a way of just getting about and getting over the things that you find very difficult," Dench said. “I’ve had to find another way of learning lines and things, which is having great friends of mine repeat them to me over and over and over again. So, I have to learn through repetition, and I just hope that people won’t notice too much if all the lines are completely hopeless!"
Judi Dench:Actress reveals how her degenerative eye condition is making acting harder
What is age-related macular degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can blur a person's central vision, according to the National Eye Institute's official website. The condition is the result of the macula − the part of the eye that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision − being damaged by aging.
The leading cause of vision loss for older adults, AMD progresses at varying rates from person to person, according to NEI.
There are two main types of the disease: dry AMD and wet AMD. Dry AMD, aka atrophic AMD, occurs when the macula gets thinner with age and its development is typically slow. Wet AMD, aka advanced neovascular AMD, usually causes faster vision loss and occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye and damage the macula.
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Contributing: Charles Trepany, USA TODAY
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