The highly-respected Oscar winning actress Dame Judi Dench is struggling with her eyesight and recently revealed that her career as an actress is becoming increasingly more difficult.
She has been diagnosed with macular degeneration, a condition that damages the retina and destroys central vision that is needed for reading and recognizing faces. While peripheral vision remains intact, those afflicted are considered legally blind.
Judi said in a recent interview that her mother also had the condition, which is hereditary. She receives injections to keep the condition from deteriorating further but admits it has taken a serious toll.
She said, “I can’t read scripts any more because of the trouble with my eyes. And so somebody comes in and reads them to me, like telling me a story. As long as there is a possibility of working, I’m not going to retire. If I retire, nothing will work any more, and it’s hard enough as it is.”
Next up for Judi is Skyfall, her seventh consecutive appearance as M in the James Bond saga.
Photo Credit: WENN