On December 21, 2016, Dame Judi Dench announced her retirement from acting. The 81-year-old actress made the announcement during an interview with BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
Dench said that she is no longer able to memorize the lines and that her party tricks are failing her. She also said that she doesn't want to do any more Shakespeare because you can't improve on Shakespeare.
This isn't the first time Dench has spoken about her retirement. In 2015, she told The Telegraph that she was considering retiring because her vision was beginning to fail. And in 2014, she told Good Housekeeping that she would retire when they cart me off.
It's unclear what exactly led to Dench's decision to finally retire. However, it's clear that age and health are playing a role. It's also possible that Dench simply feels like she's accomplished everything she wanted to in her career and is ready to move on to other things.
Whatever the reason, we'll miss seeing Dame Judi Dench on the big screen. She's been a powerhouse actress for decades and has appeared in some of the most iconic films of all time. We wish her all the best in retirement!