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The iconic performer Judi Dench has opened up about the impact of aging on her eyesight and memory, revealing she often struggles to remember immediate plans – yet can easily recall extensive passages of the Bard's work.

"I can't remember what I'm doing tomorrow, I promise you," she told a magazine.

Her assistants verified that this kind of help are at times required. Dench added that her degenerative eye condition currently causes faces to appear "blurred" even up close.

A Condition That 'Crushes'

"It's a crusher," Dench noted, adding that it prevents her from watching television. "I long to see Clive Myrie hosting Mastermind," she said, "however I can still hear the questions."

Dench, who turns 91 on Tuesday, is leading a new documentary exploring her deep connection with Shakespeare's works. Audiences will also see her in conversation with Kenneth Branagh in a separate show airing over the Christmas holidays.

On Friends and Exoneration

Dench also mentioned remaining in touch with actor Kevin Spacey, who was acquitted of assault allegations in 2023. "Kevin has been exonerated," Dench affirmed, "and I hear from Kevin, we text."

In recent months, Dench disclosed she needs constant help in public to avoid falling over due to her failing eyesight. She first revealed age-related macular degeneration in 2012, a degenerative issue that is the primary reason of vision loss in the UK.

Coping with New Realities

She has credited the condition with her de facto retirement from acting. "I can no longer see properly on set," she explained, adding: "Reading is also impossible. But you just cope."

"It's challenging if I have any length of a part. I have not discovered a way. Since I have so many friends who will teach me the script."

Her last film appearance was a brief part in the 2022 holiday film Spirited; earlier that year she had a more substantial part in Allelujah. That year also brought her her eighth Oscar nomination for Belfast.

Remaining in the Public Eye

She continues to appear frequently in public, however, including at fundraisers including a recent one last month alongside Ian McKellen. In May, she participated in a live sculpture for charity. Dench said she would not be able to see the final artwork, but would feel it "if they let me."