Judi Dench Reveals She Can No Longer Recognize Faces

Dame Judi Dench has revealed that her eyesight has worsened due to advanced age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, making it hard for her to recognize people. She shared the news during an appearance on ITV on November 25.

“Yes, and I can see your outline and I know you so well. But I can’t recognize anybody anymore,” Dench told fellow actor Ian McKellen. McKellen made a joke, asking, “But do you go up to total strangers and say, ‘Lovely to see you again?’” Dench laughed and admitted that she sometimes does.

The 90-year-old actress explained that her vision problems have also stopped her from reading and watching television. “You don’t [see me on camera anymore] because I can’t see,” she said, referring to her absence from recent screen roles. AMD damages the central part of the retina, which is essential for sharp vision used for reading, recognizing faces, driving, and noticing details.

@itvnews Judi tells ITV News she cannot attend events alone because of her age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which affects her eye sight. #itvnews #judidench #ianmckellen #shakepeare #amd ♬ original sound – itvnews

Dench has been open about her condition for years. Back in 2012, she described one eye as “dry” and the other as “wet” and said she had received injections to treat the condition. She also needed someone to read scripts to her. Despite her health challenges, including knee surgery in 2013, she recovered and continued her work.

By 2024, her vision had deteriorated to the point where she is effectively retired from acting. Her eyesight problems make it difficult for her to go out alone, but Dench has expressed a desire to keep working as much as possible.

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