Joanna Lumley says she's 'running out of time' and 'doesn't want to waste a minute'
Absolutely Fabulous star Dame Joanna Lumley has opened up about how she is feeling as she gets older and celebrated her 79th birthday on May 1.
Dame Joanna Lumley has offered a touching insight into her thoughts on ageing as she celebrated her 79th birthday. The acclaimed actress, known for her roles from a Bond girl in the '60s to the iconic Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous, and soon to be seen in Netflix's Wednesday season two, spoke candidly about her sense of mortality.
On her special day, May 1, Dame Joanna reflected on life during a conversation with Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2. "As you nearly the top of the hill, you suddenly think, 'Gosh, there's not all that much time left,'" she said.
She mused about the inevitability of her own passing: "My time must be coming quite soon, and I don't want to have wasted a minute of being on this beautiful planet. I used to panic when I was young, but as I've got older, I've started to live day to day. With age, you work out what matters. I always knew that good stuff would come along when I was older."
Lumley also imparted some wisdom on embracing one's years: "When I was 18, I longed to be 30. When I was 30, I longed to be 50. We mustn't be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good."
In a candid chat with Vernon, Dame Joanna opened up about the unique challenges of living with prosopagnosia, a disorder which makes it difficult to recognise even the faces of people she knows well. She light-heartedly said that her tactic is to 'kiss everybody' as she's often unsure of their identity, reports the Mirror.
Last week, she shared details about a peculiar condition she suffers from, explaining: "I've got this weird thing with faces, I've got face blindness. It's called Prosopagnosia."
Joanna laid out her strategy for handling social situations, noting: "I have to know who people are, I have to know in advance. I always say 'please tell me who's going to be there' then I can match the name to the thing. It's not about meeting many people, it's completely different. It's followed me and I never knew what it was. I'd try a test. I'd look at somebody and then I would shut my eyes and see if I could see their face in my head. And I couldn't."
Additionally, Joanna has been open about her habit of smoking, with daily consumption varying wildly from one to an astonishing 40 cigarettes. In typical fashion, she quipped that smoking seems to enhance her vigour, claiming: "I am unbelievably fit," and arguing that "Despite, or probably because of smoking, I am never ill. I have these extraordinary procedures."
The iconic British actress had humble beginnings before she found fame. Initially rejected from drama school, she turned to modelling in London during the vibrant Swinging Sixties.
She then ventured into acting with minor roles, including a part in the 1969 James Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
However, her career truly took off when she landed the role of Purdey in The New Avengers.
Despite her successful career, Joanna has no plans to retire. Speaking at the SANDS International Film Festival recently, she assured fans that she would continue acting as long as she could speak.
Reflecting on her early ambitions, she said: "When I told my school that I wanted to go into acting, they said the only roles available for me in film would be as a continuity or makeup girl," She added: "In the past, women like me would have been sidelined at 38, but now there are leading roles for people in their 50s and significant parts for those in their 70s."
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