Judi Dench's Parrot Humor and Reflections on Aging
Judi Dench revealed that her pet parrot Sweetie humorously calls her a "slut." In an interview with the U.K.’s Sunday Times, published on December 1, the Oscar winner, aged 89, shared a light-hearted exchange with her pet.
Dench said, "We had a long chat just now. You shouldn’t ask what she says. She says: ‘You’re a slut,’ ‘you’re a slag.’" She continued, "She has said ‘Boris Johnson’ but she didn’t get that from me. She listens to the radio. My God, she’s funny though. She’s very, very funny. Everybody should have a parrot or a myna bird. Their voices are absolutely incredible."
Recognized for her roles in various films, including "James Bond" and "Shakespeare In Love," Dench discussed her upcoming 90th birthday on December 9. "You get a bit nervous when everybody says 90. I don’t want to think of 90 much; I’m going to think about [turning] 29," she reflected.
Dench expressed a sense of gratitude regarding her age. "I think you’re lucky to be 90," she stated. "My two great, great friends, Barbara Leigh-Hunt and Maggie Smith, have just dropped off the bough in the last four weeks or so. That’s not good. I’m able to at least get from A to B and walk about. I've got a great deal to be grateful for."
Despite her lengthy acting career spanning nearly seven decades, Dench has reduced her workload following her diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration, which she disclosed in 2012.
"It’s disconcerting when you’ve had good hearing all your life. If your eyes give up and your ears give up, I dread to think what’s going to happen next. Never mind, onward and upward," Dench narrated to the Sunday Times.
In a February 2023 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Dench noted the challenges deteriorating eyesight poses for her ability to read scripts. "It has become impossible," she admitted. "Because I have a photographic memory, I need to find a machine that not only teaches me my lines but also tells me where they appear on the page."
Moreover, she mentioned how easily she previously memorized lines. "I used to find it very easy to learn lines and remember them," she said. "I could do the whole of 'Twelfth Night' right now."
Earlier, SSP wrote that Elton John discussed vision loss at London Musical Opening.