It seems the legendary Judi Dench might be hanging up her acting hat—or should we say, her acting monocle?
At the ripe young age of 89, Dame Judi has hinted she’s putting a pause on her illustrious career, all thanks to her eyes playing hide and seek with her. This juicy tidbit comes straight from The Guardian’s grapevine.
While soaking up the blooms at the Chelsea Flower Show, Judi was hit with the million-dollar question: “Any more roles coming up?” Her response? A hilariously blunt, “No, no, I can’t even see!” Well, that’s one way to dodge a script!
But don’t go thinking she’s retiring to a life of knitting and crossword puzzles just yet. Judi’s still got tricks up her sleeve. “Our book has come out—Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent,” she revealed. Apparently, the Bard’s been moonlighting as a landlord. “We’re heading to the Cheltenham book fair, and then I’ve got three shows with Gyles Brandreth.” So, she’s not just smelling the roses; she’s reading them too!
Her reps, keeping it cryptic, have simply said there’s nothing more to add. Thanks for keeping us in suspense, team Dench!
Now, Judi’s not one to keep her struggles a secret. She’s been upfront about battling age-related macular degeneration. Translation: her eyesight’s been pulling a Houdini act. “I can’t see on a film set anymore. Reading scripts? Forget about it. Seeing anything? That’s a nope. But hey, you deal with it. You get on with life,” she said last year, with the kind of stiff upper lip that could make a Brit proud.
Despite the visual setbacks, she’s been relying on her squad of script-savvy pals and that steel-trap memory of hers to keep her going. So, while the curtain might be dropping on her acting gigs, Judi Dench is far from taking her final bow.