Judi Dench, 91, Says She Wants to Die in a Dressing Room: "Retire" Is Banned

Dame Judi Dench is 91 years old, still booking roles, and not remotely interested in a farewell tour. In a new interview with The Times, she revealed that her ideal ending is dying in a theater dressing room after a performance. She also made it clear she despises the term“national treasure,”comparing it to being called a dusty relic stuffed in the back of a cupboard.

Dench wants words like“retire,”“vintage,”and“old”removed from the conversation entirely, and she points to women who skydive at 100 as her inspiration. She has been open about living with macular degeneration, leaning on the people around her and performing as if she can see. She also looks back fondly on her years playing M in eight James Bond films, and she shut down reports that she cried when the role was recast.

Her memoir,“Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?”, arrives in November. Based on this interview alone, the title feels less like a question and more like a challenge. Would you want to work forever like Dench, or are you dreaming of retiring early? Sound off in the comments.