Dame Judi Dench has opened up about her refusal to retire and her health in a recent interview, making an emotional admission about how she wants to die. The 91-year-old actress, diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012, said she "loathed being called a national treasure" before revealing her plans for her final moments.
Dench on retirement and 'national treasure' label
The James Bond star explained she had no plans to retire, adding that she would like the word to be "banished" along with words like "vintage" and "old". When questioned about being branded a "national treasure", she dismissed the idea.
"Loathe it," Dench exclaimed in an interview with The Times. "Makes me sound like a dusty old relic that's been stuffed away in the back of the cupboard, along with some dinosaur fossils and a broken Roman shield."
Emotional end-of-life admission
The Oscar winner then revealed how she planned to spend her last moments. "I want to be like Newton Blick, who died in his dressing room after a performance," the Shakespeare in Love actress shared. "I want to be one of those women who throw themselves out of planes when they're 100."
Dench has continued working despite having the same eye condition as her mother, macular degeneration, which causes vision loss. The Belfast star explained that she copes by "relying on other people" and often pretending that she can see properly.
Health struggles and coping mechanisms
Back in 2025, Judi admitted she was close to losing her sight completely. "I don't know how far I am from not being able to see at all, but it's not far away. That's very irritating," she told HELLO!
The actress also revealed how she had learnt to hide her vision loss during her career. Dench said: "If you're an actress, you can act that you can see. I've had to act all my life, so I can act that I can see. You end up cutting a lot of people dead, then you go up to complete strangers, give them the most enormous hug and say: 'I'm so sorry I haven't seen you for so long.'"
She added: "My hearing is going, too. Goodness knows what I nod and say 'yes' to. It's quite exciting, actually."
