Judi Dench, 91, Says She'll Never Retire: 'I Want to Die in My Dressing Room'

Judi Dench is 91 years old with nearly 150 film and TV credits and over 100 stage roles since 1957, and she has no plans to stop. In a new interview with The Times, the legendary actress said she wants to die in her dressing room after a performance, just like actor Newton Blick did. She also rejected the term“national treasure,”saying it makes her sound like“a dusty old relic that’s been stuffed away in the back of the cupboard.”

Dench wants words like“retire,”“vintage”and“old”banished from how we talk about aging performers. What makes her stance even more remarkable is that she’s living with macular degeneration and can no longer recognize faces. She often pretends she can see clearly, which leads people to think she’s ignoring them when she genuinely can’t see them. Despite the challenges, she continues to work, most recently voicing a role in The Magic Faraway Tree this year.

Her refusal to slow down challenges everything we assume about aging, disability and when someone should step back. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just hearing about this, Dench is making one thing clear: purpose doesn’t have an expiration date. What’s the one thing you’d never retire from? Let us know in the comments.