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Dench battling blindness

brinkeguthriebrinkeguthrie Piz Gloria
edited February 2012 in Actors Posts: 1,400
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19994576
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Comments

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    My grandmother is pretty much in the same situation. Pending blindness, after a lifetime of excellent vision, is experienced as a true nightmare. It saddens me to read this and by the same token, I'm reminded of the trouble I go through on a personal level trying to cope with the disturbances this causes in my own family.

    I can only wish Dame Judy the best of luck in trying to find the appropriate treatment, if there is such a thing.
  • JR_747JR_747
    Posts: 192
    This makes me feel very sorry for her!
    She is an amazing actress and would love to see a lot more of her in coming years. But apart from these merely selfish motives I wish her all the best for her health regarding her private life! Hopefully there is something the doctors can do...
  • brinkeguthriebrinkeguthrie Piz Gloria
    Posts: 1,400
    Now we know why Fiennes is rumored as the new M..
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited February 2012 Posts: 13,356
    =bg= wrote:
    Now we know why Fiennes is rumored as the new M..

    My first thought too.

    If she's unable to read her own scripts this is indeed very sad and an awful way to bring to an end an amazing career.

    I thankfully, don't know anyone in this situation, it must be heartbreaking and I wish Dame Judi and anyone else who has to suffer through this the very best.

    I'm still in shock really, this news is horrid.

    If you read the interview that article links to, from the Mirror, you'll read she hopes recent treatment has stopped the progressive decline. Though I'm not sure of the success rate of these things, we can hope and prey for the best.

    She ends by saying she doesn't plan to stop working, so I hold out hope we may see her in Bond 24 and beyond as well as many other films.

    Here gives a few details on the condition: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2012/02/18/james-bond-star-dame-judi-dench-says-eye-disease-means-she-can-t-read-lines-86908-23755377/

    It affects the eye's nerves

    Lyndon Da Cruz, consultant ophthalmic surgeon

    AGE-RELATED macular degeneration is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the macular – a small but vital part of the retina.

    The macular has all the high-quality reading nerves and is right in the centre of the patient’s vision.

    AMD can lead to total blindness but this is very rare. It doesn’t affect the periphery, so people don’t end up losing their vision totally.

    Sufferers can lose the high-quality central vision, which is very disabling for most people because they can’t read, see faces or watch TV.

    AMD is by far the commonest cause of sight loss in the West. The number of sufferers increases significantly after the age of 60 – at which point up to a third of the population will have some form of the disease.

    This could mean less big roles for Dench though, which as we've seen in the 60's to '80's work very well. There may be little reason to drop Dench, if the worst happens.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    Awful thing to happen to anyone. But I have been a Dench fan since seeing her at RSC in Anthony and Cleopatra in 93.

    She seemed a lovely person on Graham Norton the other day.
  • JR_747JR_747
    edited February 2012 Posts: 192
    =bg= wrote:
    Now we know why Fiennes is rumored as the new M..

    I love Dench as M and would love to see her again in 24. But on the other hand, then she would be around 80, which is an age at that probably no one would do such a stressfull job as head of MI6 in real life. I don't say she could not do it once more, but I think it is very likely that SF will be her last Bond.
    If that is the case, I do hope that SF is a worthy goodbye for her! I would miss her...
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    My late great aunt once woke up completely blind and remained that way for the rest of her life.

    Terrible thing to happen to anyone and let's hope Dench is given the right treatment.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    BAIN123 wrote:
    My late great aunt once woke up completely blind and remained that way for the rest of her life.

    Good God, that's awful. I was really unaware that things like this could be so affecting though I suppose nothing should surprise me.

    I've also woken up blind and though it only lasted for around 10 minutes it was a very scary thing. I've also been sick and then immediately been blind for some unknown reason, though I was feeling rather ill, the worst I had for years. I just these aren't telling signs for my future...
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    How awfully sad. I would never guess that Judi would be afflicted with this, and I hate to hear what she has to go through. She is having a large struggle, but stays so positive about it all, and I respect that. This makes it apparent to me that Skyfall may indeed be her last Bond film. If she signs another contract for several more films the risk of here losing her eyesight during her next contract agreement as M would be heightened. I wish her the best, and if there is any chance of a treatment for this condition, I hope she gets it.
  • KanangaKananga
    Posts: 368
    I've just checked out her Wiki and she has no other films planned. So maybe Skyfall is the last film of her career.

    Very sad news that she is losing her eyesight.

  • VirageVirage
    Posts: 1,856
    This is just so sad... :((
  • KennonKennon
    Posts: 297
    What an awful shame, she's a splendid actress and by what's going around a fine person. Keeping my fingers crossed for her.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited February 2012 Posts: 11,189
    Samuel001 wrote:
    BAIN123 wrote:
    My late great aunt once woke up completely blind and remained that way for the rest of her life.

    Good God, that's awful. I was really unaware that things like this could be so affecting though I suppose nothing should surprise me.

    Yeah. She'd had a cataract operation previously that had gone wrong and resulted in her going blind.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited February 2012 Posts: 13,356
    Kananga wrote:
    I've just checked out her Wiki and she has no other films planned. So maybe Skyfall is the last film of her career.

    She's said she would like to continue to work for as long as she is able to, so hopefully, if everyting goes well Dench will be able to appear in many more films yet.

    I wouldn't take Dench not being in any more films at the moment as a sign of career being over.
    BAIN123 wrote:
    Samuel001 wrote:
    BAIN123 wrote:
    My late great aunt once woke up completely blind and remained that way for the rest of her life.

    Good God, that's awful. I was really unaware that things like this could be so affecting though I suppose nothing should surprise me.

    Yeah. She'd had a cataract operation previously that had gone wrong and resulted in her going blind.

    Well, that just makes it even worse. I'm sorry to hear that @BAIN123.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Kananga wrote:
    I've just checked out her Wiki and she has no other films planned. So maybe Skyfall is the last film of her career.

    She's said she would like to continue to work for as long as she is able to, so hopefully, if everyting goes well Dench will be able to appear in many more films yet.

    I wouldn't take Dench not being in any more films at the moment as a sign of career being over.
    BAIN123 wrote:
    Samuel001 wrote:
    BAIN123 wrote:
    My late great aunt once woke up completely blind and remained that way for the rest of her life.

    Good God, that's awful. I was really unaware that things like this could be so affecting though I suppose nothing should surprise me.

    Yeah. She'd had a cataract operation previously that had gone wrong and resulted in her going blind.

    Well, that just makes it even worse. I'm sorry to hear that @BAIN123.

    That's ok. I wasn't THAT close to her but it was still a sad thing.
  • bondbat007bondbat007
    Posts: 1,407
    Terrible news. Best wishes for Judi
  • BritishChap007BritishChap007
    Posts: 555
    Truly saddened to read this.
  • 007manny007manny
    Posts: 100
    sucks to hear someone who is part of the bond family go thru this but didnt a camera man also have this problem to as well in the 70s?
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    Claude Renoir, yes. His Bond film was The Spy Who Loved Me.
  • St_GeorgeSt_George Shuttling Drax's lovelies to the space doughnut - happy 40th, MR!
    edited February 2012 Posts: 1,699
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Claude Renoir, yes. His Bond film was The Spy Who Loved Me.

    Indeed, that's the cause of the famous anecdote of how Stanley Kubrick came to work on Bond, because Renoir couldn't see far enough to adequately light the huge 007 Stage newly built for Ken Adam's Liparus set, so he called on Kubrick's help for the job.

    Anyhoo, back on topic, yup, it's sad news this, but hopefully things'll work out all right for Judi's eyes. She's getting on and this sort of thing happens - I mean, I'm in my early thirties now and occasionally experience neck and back aches I never got as a 'younger man' (mind, I suspect they come from falling asleep in odd positions now and again... :p )

  • jamesh101jamesh101
    Posts: 298
    Terrible, how sad. My utmost sympathy and best wishes for Judi and her family.
  • gt007gt007 Station G
    Posts: 1,182
    That's terrible and sad news. I wish her the best possible.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    A great actress, she is amazing to face it head and not be stopped by it by continuing her film career! Sadly this sad news maybe a confirmation that it could be her last appearance as M?

    I wish her well in her fight against the condition!
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    RogueAgent wrote:
    A great actress, she is amazing to face it head and not be stopped by it by continuing her film career! Sadly this sad news maybe a confirmation that it could be her last appearance as M?

    I'm afraid you may just have contradicted yourself.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    Samuel001 wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    A great actress, she is amazing to face it head and not be stopped by it by continuing her film career! Sadly this sad news maybe a confirmation that it could be her last appearance as M?

    I'm afraid you may just have contradicted yourself.

    In a way yes? But surely you can understand what i am trying to say though?

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    RogueAgent wrote:
    Samuel001 wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    A great actress, she is amazing to face it head and not be stopped by it by continuing her film career! Sadly this sad news maybe a confirmation that it could be her last appearance as M?

    I'm afraid you may just have contradicted yourself.

    In a way yes? But surely you can understand what i am trying to say though?

    Yes, I can understand but Dench continuing her career by no means says this will be her last Bond film. In fact, hopefully the opposite.
  • darren_blacksmithdarren_blacksmith
    edited February 2012 Posts: 678
    This is very sad news. However, I don't think the producers would drop her just because of this, as long as she can still act and has alternative ways of learning her lines. Before this news I thought now was the perfect time for her to retire from the role of M, as she will be almost 80 by the time Bond 24 is (probably) made. Is it convincing that the head of Mi6 would be so old? Although Dame Judy does seem younger than her years. After this news I kind of hope she does stick around for bond 24.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    http://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=10015&t=mi6&s=news

    I'm pleased that Dench has cleared this up. Hopefully things won't spin much further out of control now. This statement at least makes everything seem a little more normal.
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    That certainly is good news and a relief to hear.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Someone close had a cataract operation a year or two ago, it was really no choice in the matter, of course there are several inherent risks about all types of operation procedures, but thankfully there were no problems and it went smoothly enough

    Sorry to hear Ms Dench has been having some difficulties lately, you never can tell the actual severity of these things sometimes but it appears it may not have been as shocking news as one may have taken in and I wish her all the best for the future. What could be worse than losing one's eyesight, it's one of those god given things we take for granted, but stories like these do bring things quickly into perspective
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