Dame Judi Dench's sight is deteriorating.

The 79-year-old actress - who was diagnosed with the condition two years ago - reportedly can't read her own scripts or recognise faces but is determined to continue to take on film roles.

Staff on her latest film 'Philomena' - in which she plays the protagonist who the film is named after - were inspired by her attitude and praised the ''wonderful'' actress for her ''openness'' about her sight problems.

A source told The Sun newspaper: ''Judi was totally inspirational. She can't read her own scripts so her friends have to go through them with her or she'll learn them on a tape recorder. There were many times during filming where her sight was a problem for her with recognising faces or objects and often someone would just jump in and help her move about so she didn't lose her footing.

''She was absolutely wonderful because she was totally open about her eye condition and would just ask for help when she needed it or apologise for not recognising someone. But she was always line-perfect. She is incredible to watch.

''She may not be able to see her scripts but she delivers lines like no one else.''

Judi suffers from both dry and wet macular degeneration - the former leaves people with blurry vision and while the latter can cause blind spots.

The star - who is has been Oscar-nominated for Best Actress and set a new BAFTA record for her 15th nomination for adoption-themed drama 'Philomena' - is a ''total trooper'' and is determined not to let these problems interrupt her life.

A friend of Judi's added: ''What infuriates Judi is people saying she is going blind. She is losing her sight but she won't accept that the end result will be blindness.

''She is a total trooper and if she wins a BAFTA and an Oscar this year, she deserves it more than anyone.''