15 replies to this topic

[SamuelKevlar]

Judi Dench Going Blind But Says She Won't Retire

Very sad. Very brave.

Also means almost beyond a shadow of a doubt that Skyfall will be her last Bond. I do hope they don't kill her character off.

[DamnCoffee]

Very sad news indeed. I hope she'll be okay. Always loved Judi, fantastic actress.

[graric]

It's not that uncommon in people of her age: but she is seeking treatment for it http://www.guardian....s-eye-condition
I wouldn't be surprised if Skyfall was her last Bond film, but I expect she will continue acting for a very long time

[The Dove]

"Bless her heart"..as Professor Joe might say.. LOL. In all seriousness, this is sad indeed.. Dame Judi is indeed a fine actress and I'm glad she is seeking treatment for the condition and like others here have stated, I too feel that 'Skyfall' will be her final Bond film..but lest we forget, she has already equaled Bernard Lee's time as M..in 17 years.. He did 11 films from 1962-1979 and she has done 7 from 1995-2012..quite a remarkable achievement!

[Syndicate]

Hopfully an ophthalmologist will be able to help her get most or all of her sight back.

[Gobi-1]

Very sad indeed.

Some wishful thinking, Dana Elcar on the tv series MacGyver lost his eyesight due to glaucoma and it was written into the series as he character also develops the disease. He remained on the show for two more seasons until it ended. However unlike Dench he was only in his mid 60s. She will be pushing 80. If Judi Dench was still in excellent health despite her eyesight, and the producers were willing, I could see a scenario for Bond 24 where M has retired due to her blindness but Bond still visits her when he needs guidance and advice.

We'll have to wait and see how Skyfall plays out but it does seem likely that it will be her last Bond film.

[Royal Dalton]

Esmond Knight was virtually completely blind for almost half a century and it never stopped him from acting.

[graric]

In all likelihood Dench's M will step down as M in Skyfall (this can be inferred by what little we know of the plot) but I wouldn't be surprised if Bond continues to seek her advice in future films (in much the same way Gardner had Bond talk about cases with Messervey after his retirement in later novels like COLD)...this is of course if Dench wants to continue on in the series (wasn't there an interview earlier on where she said this may be her last one?)

[SecretAgentFan]

All the best to Dame Judi Dench. I hope the treatment will work.

[BourneAgainBond]

sad news. poor Judi, hope she can pull though all this.

if this is her last film as M. do you think that it confirms that Ralph Fiennes will be taking over the role or do you think they still haven't considered replacing her?

Edited by BourneAgainBond, 20 February 2012 - 11:07 AM.

[thecasinoroyale]

Aw no, this is sad to read. I know it's common, but obviously for someone us CBN'ers hold in such high-regard, very sad indeed.

Her legacy and impact on the Bond franchise will go un-touched, however her career pans out after 'Skyfall' which I think will be her last, as some others do...but this isn't confirmed obviously, just all thoughts about the plot!

Let's hope things can be improved for her, but she just remains happy and well in herself enough for many more years either with 007 or in other smaller roles!

God bless, ma'am.

[graric]

She's released a further statement about this, talking about how reports are exaggerating her condition. As she says, this disease happens to thousands of people past a certain age and it will not lead to complete blindness...her vision will very likely be as good as its ever been after the competition of the operation http://www.reuters.c...E81J0X720120220

[DaveBond21]

She's released a further statement about this, talking about how reports are exaggerating her condition. As she says, this disease happens to thousands of people past a certain age and it will not lead to complete blindness...her vision will very likely be as good as its ever been after the competition of the operation http://www.reuters.c...E81J0X720120220

I was going to say she never mentioned it on Graham Norton's show the other night. We got it a week later than the UK, but it was only filmed on 8th February.

Hope she recovers from the condition. I wonder if this really will be her last Bond film? As mentioned above, 7 films is an amazing achievement, and she is the link between the old Q and the new Q.

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[The Dove]

Glad that Judi has put out a statement downplaying the severity of her condition.. Think I saw that The Mirror first reported this story..so go figure.. they tend to overblow things to the extreme. This reminds me of the whole "Halle Berry gets grenade shrapnel in her eye" tabloid junk during the filming of Die Another Day...all it turned out to be was just some gun smoke which got in her eye and iritated it..

[x007AceOfSpades]

Hope all's well with her condition and she can recover fast after an operation. I really like her as M, I would be pleased with one or even two more films from her, before she decides to call it quits.

[S K Y F A L L]

I just came across this video on Youtube of a news report about Judi Dench and macular degeneration. I didn't know you can put a telescope in your eye ball.