Miriam Margolyes has opened up about her health, and the heartbreaking reason why she can't retire.
The 83-year-old is battling spinal stenosis, a condition where the spinal canal narrows, placing pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots.
Despite her illness, Margolyes has continued to appear in numerous TV shows and even traveled to Australia earlier this year, where she made headlines with a controversial appearance on The Project.
Margolyes earned nearly $500,000 last year from her memoir and has reportedly made around $700,000 since 2020 from recording personalized videos for fans on Cameo.
Her appearance on The Project in Australia was particularly memorable. The discussion turned to the conflict in Gaza, where Margolyes, who is Jewish, called for an immediate ceasefire.
“Ceasefire now,” she insisted, receiving applause from the audience.
Despite her recent earnings and TV appearances, the actress opened up about her health battles and the need to work.
“I’m worried that I won’t have enough money for carers when I finally get paralyzed or whatever it is that’s going to happen to me,” Margolyes shared with Radio Times.
Facing the physical limitations of spinal stenosis and the challenges of aging, Margolyes finds these constraints "limiting and depressing" but remains determined to maintain her active career.
“When you know that you haven’t got long to live and I’m probably going to die within the next five or six years, if not before, I’m loath to leave behind performing. It’s such a joy,” she stated.
In other Margolyes news, she recently shared her thoughts on Harry Potter fans, especially those who still enjoy the franchise as adults.
Margolyes, known for her role as Professor Pomona Sprout, a Herbology teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, believes fans should move on from the series.
Margolyes’ notable moment in the franchise came in the 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where she instructed second-year students Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) on handling Mandrakes, a magical plant known for its deafening scream.
Despite her gratitude for being part of the series, Margolyes expressed her concerns in an interview with New Zealand's 1News.
“I worry about Harry Potter fans because they should be over that by now,” she said. “It was 25 years ago, and it’s for children. I think it’s for children.”
Margolyes is puzzled by adults who remain obsessed with the series they grew up with, citing peculiar requests she receives on Cameo, where she creates personalized videos for fans.
“They get stuck in it,” she remarked. “I do Cameos, and people say, ‘Oh, we’re having a Harry Potter-themed wedding,’ and I think, ‘Gosh, what’s their first night of fun going to be?’ I can’t even think about it. No.”
Acknowledging the franchise's appeal, Margolyes reiterated: “It’s over.”
