Judi Dench is having vision problems. Not like Mary from Little House On The Prairie vision problems, but vision problems, nonetheless. On Saturday, Dench came out about a degenerative eye disease she is currently battling. The disease, called macular degeneration, effects many elderly people across the world each year but does not lead to blindness.
Over the weekend, when Dench came out about the disease, a bit of an alarm went off, due to a comment Dench made about being unable to read her scripts.
"I can't read scripts anymore because of the trouble with my eyes. Somebody comes in and reads them to me, like telling me a story."
Though she does have the macular degeneration condition in both eyes, according to Reuters Dench has been working hard to get the proper treatments and to halt the disease. In the acting world, the disease is not slowing the 77 year-old actress down. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel drops in May and the next Bond film is set to be released in 2012. What Dench wants people to understand is that her condition is not abnormal for a woman of her age. Well, and that she is not going blind, just seeing a little fuzzier than she used to.
"In response to the numerous articles in the media concerning my eye condition - macular degeneration - I do not wish for this to be overblown…This condition is something that thousands and thousands of people all over the world are having to contend with. It's something that I have learnt to cope with and adapt to - and it will not lead to blindness."
Which is better news for us, anyway, who wants to see Dench retire when she’s got years left on her acting life?
