Miriam Margolyes

1.1. Birth and Family Background

Miriam Margolyes was born on 18 May 1941 in Oxford, England, into a Jewish family. She was the only child of Joseph Margolyes (1899-1995), a Scottish physician and general practitioner who hailed from the Gorbals area of Glasgow, and Ruth Margolyes (née Sandeman; 1905-1974), a property developer. Her maternal family, whose surname changed from Sandeman to Walters before her birth, included a second-hand furniture dealer and auctioneer from Kirkdale, Liverpool, who later moved to London. Margolyes' family history includes migration from Eastern Europe; her maternal great-grandfather, Symeon Sandmann, was born in Margonin, a Polish town then part of the Kingdom of Prussia, which Margolyes visited in 2013. Her paternal grandfather, Philip Margolyes, was born in Amdur, a small Belarusian shtetl located in Grodno Governorate, Russian Empire, at the time.

1.2. Education

Margolyes attended Oxford High School before pursuing higher education at Newnham College, Cambridge (University of Cambridge). During her time at Cambridge in her twenties, she discovered a passion for acting and became actively involved in productions by the Cambridge Footlights, a student-run theatrical group known for its comedy. Her early experiences with the Footlights helped her hone her comedic timing and unique vocal abilities, allowing her to stand out. She represented Newnham College in the inaugural series of University Challenge, a British television quiz show. Margolyes claims to have uttered the word "fuck" in frustration on the show in 1963, which was subsequently "bleeped out" for transmission, making her one of the earliest individuals to use such language on British television, though others may have preceded her.

2.1. Early Career and Voice Acting

Margolyes began her professional acting career in theatre, quickly gaining recognition for her distinctive and versatile voice. In the 1970s, she recorded an audio performance titled Sexy Sonia: Leaves from my Schoolgirl Notebook, which was described as soft-porn. In 1972, she appeared alongside Tony Robinson in the educational television program Sam on Boffs' Island. Her vocal talents were extensively utilized in the English dubbed versions of popular Japanese action television series; she performed most of the supporting female characters in Monkey and also provided voiceovers for The Water Margin, where she was credited as Mirium Margolyes. She also worked with the theatre company Gay Sweatshop during this period. In 1974, she joined Kenneth Williams and Ted Ray in the BBC Radio 2 comedy series The Betty Witherspoon Show. Her voice later became widely recognized for the rabbit character in the animated commercials for Cadbury's Caramel bars. Her voice work extends to major animated films, including Fly the dog in the Australian-American family film Babe (1995), the Glow-Worm in James and the Giant Peach (1996), The Matchmaker in Mulan (1998), Mrs. Plithiver, a blind snake, in Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010), Nana in the Disney Junior animated series Nina Needs to Go! (2014), Queen Oofeefa in Early Man (2018), and The Meep in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special "The Star Beast" (2023). She also voiced BERYL in the video games Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up (2021) and Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway (2023). In 2011, Margolyes recorded a narrative for The Devil's Brides, an album by klezmer musician-ethnographer Yale Strom.

2.2. Film Career

Miriam Margolyes made her film debut with a small part in the British comedy A Nice Girl Like Me (1969), followed by her first major role as Elephant Ethel in Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977). Throughout the 1980s, she began appearing in Hollywood productions, including a role as Sarah in Barbra Streisand's acclaimed film Yentl (1983). She gained further recognition for her role as the Dental Nurse in the musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors (1986). In her 2023 memoir, Oh Miriam: Stories from an Extraordinary Life, Margolyes commented that her co-star Steve Martin was "undeniably brilliant, but horrid to me" during the filming of Little Shop of Horrors. Martin responded by stating, "My memory is that we had a good communication as professional actors. But when it is implied that I harmed her or was in some way careless about doing the stunts, I have to object."

Her performance as Flora Finching in the 1988 film Little Dorrit earned her the 1989 LA Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress. The 1990s marked a significant period in her film career with increased roles in high-profile productions. In 1994, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Mrs. Mingott in Martin Scorsese's 1993 period drama The Age of Innocence. She continued to take on diverse and often eccentric roles, including Aunt Sponge in James and the Giant Peach (1996) and the Nurse in Baz Luhrmann's modern adaptation of Romeo + Juliet (1996), co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Other notable film credits include Different for Girls (1996), Magnolia (1999), End of Days (1999), Being Julia (2004), and Ladies in Lavender (2004).

Margolyes became internationally recognizable for her iconic role as Professor Pomona Sprout in the Harry Potter film series, appearing in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011). In a 2011 interview, she mentioned getting along well with Maggie Smith but bluntly stated she "didn't like the one that died," referring to Richard Harris. In 2024, Margolyes stirred controversy among fans by stating, "I worry about Harry Potter fans because they should be over that by now. It was 25 years ago, and it's for children." This comment drew significant backlash, with one fan remarking, "Nobody has a right to try and shame people into not enjoying something they harmlessly enjoy." Conversely, Louis Chilton of The Independent defended Margolyes' right to express her opinion, suggesting that "what's a bit of shame every now and then between friends?"

In 2004, Margolyes played Peg Sellers, the mother of Peter Sellers, in the Golden Globe-winning television film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, which was also released in cinemas in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. Her extensive filmography, totaling over 130 productions, showcases her consistent presence as a versatile character actress.

2.3. Television Career

Miriam Margolyes has had an extensive career in television, appearing in numerous series, telefilms, and specials. Her early television appearances include her debut in Theatre 625 (1965), Crossroads (1967), ITV Play of the Week (1967), Boy Meets Girl (1967), Dixon of Dock Green (1968), Thirty-Minute Theatre (1969), ITV Playhouse (1969), A Place in the Sun (1972), Jackanory Playhouse (1972), Words and Pictures (1972-1973), Doctor in Charge (1973), World of Laughter (1974), Fall of Eagles (1974), The Girls of Slender Means (1975), Christmas Box (1976), Angels (1976), Kizzy (1976), The Glittering Prizes (1976), Crown Court (1976, 1982), Play for Today (1977), Spasms (1977), The Lost Tribe (1980), Tales of the Unexpected (1980), Take a Letter, Mr. Jones (1981), A Kick Up the Eighties (1981), The History Man (1981), Freud (1984), Oliver Twist (1985), and Honour, Profit and Pleasure (1985).

She is well-known for her appearances in the British comedy series Blackadder, where she played the Spanish Infanta in The Black Adder (1983), Lady Whiteadder in Blackadder II (1986), and Queen Victoria in Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988). In 1986, she played a major supporting role in the BBC drama The Life and Loves of a She-Devil. Margolyes also headlined the short-lived 1992 CBS sitcom Frannie's Turn.

Her later television work includes roles in A Little Princess (1986), Scotch and Wry (1986), Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987), Mr Majeika (1988), Murderers Among Us (1989), Orpheus Descending (1990), The Finding (1990), Screen Two (1990), Tonight at 8.30 (1991), Stalin (1992), The Comic Strip Presents... (1993), Just William (1994), Moonacre (1994), Cold Comfort Farm (1995), The IMAX Nutcracker (1997), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1997), The Place of Lions (1997), Vanity Fair (1998), The First Snow of Winter (1998), Supply & Demand (1998), Rugrats (1998, 2001), Dharma & Greg (2000), Agatha Christie's Marple (2004), Wallis & Edward (2005), Inconceivable (2005), Jam & Jerusalem (2006), Kingdom (2008), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2009), Tinga Tinga Tales (2010), Merlin (2010), Doc Martin (2011), Hebburn (2013), Nina Needs to Go! (2014), Trollied (2014), Plebs (2016), Bottersnikes and Gumbles (2016-2017), Rake (2016-2018), Bucket (2017), Family Guy (2017), 101 Dalmatian Street (2019), The Windsors (2020), Apple & Onion (2021), Dog Squad (2022), Hilda (2023), and Mog's Christmas (2023).

She portrayed the recurring character Prudence Stanley in the Australian drama series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries from 2012 to 2015, and Mother Mildred/Sister Mildred in the BBC1 drama series Call the Midwife from 2018 to 2021. In October 2021, she played Lillian opposite Helen Monks in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Charlotte and Lillian, where she also promoted her autobiography.

2.4. Stage Career

Miriam Margolyes has a distinguished stage career, starting with her early involvement in the Cambridge Footlights during her university years. Her theatrical roles span a wide range of productions, from classic musicals to contemporary plays. In 1970, she appeared as the Matchmaker in a UK tour of Fiddler on the Roof. She performed as Nelly in The Threepenny Opera at the Piccadilly Theatre in London in 1972 and as the Wife of Bath in Canterbury Tales at the Bristol Old Vic in 1974. Other notable early stage credits include Kennedy's Children (1975), The White Devil (1976), Cloud Nine (1978), and Flaming Bodies (1979).

In 1984, she took on the role of Helen Hanff in 84 Charing Cross Road in Colchester. From 1985 to 1987, she starred as Gertrude Stein in Gertrude Stein and a Companion, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival, Hampstead Theatre, and toured Australia. She played Widow Begbick in Man Equals Man at the Almeida Theatre in London in 1986 and Vee Talbot in Orpheus Descending at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, in 1988.

A significant highlight of her stage career is her acclaimed one-woman show, Dickens' Women, which she co-wrote and performed. In this show, which toured from 1989 to 2012, Margolyes vividly portrayed 23 characters from the novels of Charles Dickens, earning her an Olivier Award nomination in 1991.

She was part of the original London cast of the musical Wicked in 2006, playing the role of Madame Morrible opposite Idina Menzel. She reprised this role on Broadway in 2008. In 2009, she appeared as Nell in a new production of Endgame by Samuel Beckett at the Duchess Theatre in the West End. Later roles include The Duchess in Me and My Girl (2010), Grace in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (2011), Ana in Neighbourhood Watch (2014), and Sue Mengers in the Australian premiere of I'll Eat You Last (2014) for the Melbourne Theatre Company. In 2019, she played Miss Shepherd in a production of The Lady in the Van for the Melbourne Theatre Company in Melbourne, Australia. Her most recent stage appearance was in White Rabbit Red Rabbit at the @sohoplace in London in 2024.

2.5. Documentary and Travel Series

Miriam Margolyes has frequently appeared in and presented various documentary and travel series, often combining cultural exploration with personal insights. In 2005, she hosted Dickens in America, a ten-part BBC Four documentary that retraced Charles Dickens's 1842 journey across the United States. In January 2016, she was featured in The Real Marigold Hotel, a BBC television documentary series where a group of eight celebrities traveled to India to explore the feasibility of retirement there compared to the UK. The success of this series led to spin-offs, The Real Marigold On Tour, which saw her travel to locations such as Florida, Kyoto, Chengdu, Havana, and St Petersburg.

In 2016, she narrated the ITV documentary Lady C and the Castle. In January 2018, Margolyes hosted Miriam's Big American Adventure, a three-part BBC series highlighting the citizens of the United States and the issues facing the country. She also appeared in Miriam's Dead Good Adventure (2019) and Miriam's Big Fat Adventure (2020), both for the BBC.

Her work also includes the ABC television documentary series Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian (2020) and Miriam Margolyes Australia Unmasked (2022). She co-presented Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland (2021, 2022) with Alan Cumming for Channel 4. In April 2022, she was the subject of the BBC documentary Miriam Margolyes: Up for Grabs as part of the Imagine... series, featuring an interview by Alan Yentob. Further documentary projects include Miriam's Dickensian Christmas (2022), Irish Road Trip with Miriam Margolyes (SBS, 2023), Impossibly Australian (ABC, 2024), and Miriam Margolyes: A New Australian Adventure (BBC, 2024).

2.6. Memoirs and Other Ventures

Outside of her extensive acting and documentary work, Miriam Margolyes has authored autobiographical works and engaged in other professional activities. She has published two memoirs: This Much is True (2021) and Oh Miriam! Stories from an Extraordinary Life (2023). She discussed her first book, This Much is True, on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show on 5 November 2021, explaining humorously that it was written "because she was paid an enormous amount of money." The book was published by Hachette Books on 16 September. Her second memoir, Oh Miriam!, notably included her comments on the filming of Little Shop of Horrors and her interactions with co-star Steve Martin. In February 2023, Margolyes appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity, where her hypothetical donation to the imaginary museum was "Charles Dickens and all his works."

2.7. Video Games

Miriam Margolyes has also lent her voice to video games.

3.1. Identity and Relationships

Margolyes is openly lesbian. Since 1968, she has been in a long-term relationship with Heather Sutherland, a retired Australian professor of Indonesian studies. In 2013, during a live national television appearance in Australia and in front of then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Margolyes publicly referred to herself as a "dyke." For many years, Margolyes and Sutherland did not live together, dividing their time between homes in London and Kent in England, Robertson, New South Wales in Australia, and Montisi in Italy. However, in November 2023, Margolyes revealed on The Graham Norton Show that she and Sutherland had never permanently cohabited, but that she desired to do so as they were both elderly and recognized they did not have much time left. At that time, Margolyes was living in London, and Sutherland was residing in Amsterdam.

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3.2. Citizenship and Residences

Miriam Margolyes became an Australian citizen on Australia Day in 2013, while retaining her British citizenship, making her a dual citizen of both nations. Throughout her life and career, she has maintained residences in multiple countries. These have included homes in London and Kent in England, Robertson, New South Wales, in Australia, and Montisi in Italy. As of late 2023, she was primarily living in London, while her partner Heather Sutherland resided in Amsterdam, indicating a continued international lifestyle.

4.1. Political Affiliations and Stances

Margolyes' political activism began during her university years. Although she came from a self-described "very middle-class Jewish background" that traditionally voted Tory, her views evolved. In the 1970s, she joined the Workers Revolutionary Party alongside fellow actors and Equity members such as Vanessa Redgrave, Frances de la Tour, and Tom Kempinski. She is a current member of the Labour Party in the UK and is registered to vote in the Vauxhall constituency.

In August 2015, Margolyes was a signatory to a letter that criticized The Jewish Chronicle's reporting on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's alleged associations with antisemites. In November 2019, she publicly endorsed the Labour Party in the UK general election, primarily citing their policies on the National Health Service. Later that month, she joined other public figures in signing a letter that supported Corbyn, describing him as a "beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia, and racism in much of the democratic world."

Margolyes has been highly critical of the British Government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. She publicly called the government's response "a public scandal" and "a disgrace." In a particularly controversial statement regarding then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson's hospitalization due to COVID-19, Margolyes admitted, "I had difficulty not wanting Boris Johnson to die." She later clarified that she then wished him to get better, though she added, "he didn't get better as a human being and I really would prefer that." In October 2022, during a live interview on BBC Radio 4's Today program, she made headlines by saying, in reference to then-Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, "what I really wanted to say was 'Fuck you, you bastard!'"

4.2. Social and Humanitarian Activism

Margolyes is a vocal advocate for various social and humanitarian causes. She is a signatory of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, an organization advocating for Palestinian rights. She has expressed her belief that Jewish people should "report the truth as we see it" regarding Israel, rather than offering unquestioning support. In a video published by The Jewish Council of Australia on 6 April 2024, Margolyes strongly criticized the Israeli government's ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip. In her 2.5-minute video, she stated, "I have never been so ashamed of Israel as I am at this moment. To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He's changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children." While condemning Hamas's actions, she characterized Israel's actions as "shocking, embarrassing and wicked" and urged all Jewish people to "shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire."

She is also a patron of My Death My Decision, a UK-based organization that advocates for a more compassionate approach to dying, including the legal right to a medically assisted death for individuals who persistently wish for it.

Regarding transgender rights, Margolyes initially defended J. K. Rowling in a 2022 interview, stating that "There is a spectrum and people can be anywhere along that. There isn't one answer to all these trans questions." However, in November 2023, she indicated a change in her perspective during another appearance on The Graham Norton Show, stating that a discussion with Zoe Terakes, a trans Australian actor, had altered her view. She now believes that grammar is not paramount over ensuring someone's happiness by using their preferred pronouns.