Judi Dench hints at retirement from acting on film after 60 years

Judi Dench has hinted at a possible retirement at age 89, after revealing that she has no upcoming projects.

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The award-winning veteran actor – whose work encompasses theatre, film and television – was present at the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a horticulture festival held in Chelsea, United Kingdom, from May 21 to 25.

According to The Mirror, Dench denied that she had any upcoming projects when asked by a journalist. “No, no. I can’t even see!” she said, referring to her current affliction of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

When asked to clarify her comments, Dench’s agent had apparently intervened: “Judi has nothing more to add than all she mentioned to the journalist,” they said.

Last year, Dench admitted that she can no longer “see on a film set anymore”. She was diagnosed in 2012 with the condition, which can greatly obstruct a person’s vision.

“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 said on The Graham Norton Show in 2023.

In a later interview with Louis Theroux on BBC Two, Dench further expressed her desire to continue working as an actor. “I’ve got to teach myself a new way of learning,” she said. “I’ve realised that I need to know where it is on the page. I’ll teach myself a way. I know I will, as long as I don’t trip over doing it.”

According to the Macular Society, per Deadline, AMD affects more than 700,000 people and is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.

Earlier this month, Dench chimed in with her opinion on trigger warnings implemented for modern theatre audiences. “I can see why they exist, but if you’re that sensitive, don’t go to the theatre, because you could be very shocked,” she said. “Where is the surprise of seeing and understanding it in your own way?”

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