Miriam Margolyes, the charismatic and much-adored actor best known for her role as Professor Sprout in Harry Potter, recently made a heartbreaking revelation about her health, sharing that she hasn’t “got long to live.”
Only one month after she was admitted to hospital with a chest infection, Miriam Margoyles appeared nude on the cover of British Vogue for Pride month.
“I like my face,” she told the outlet. “I think my face is kind and warm and open and smiley. But I hate my body. [And I have] a drooping belly, little twisted legs. I’m not thrilled with that.”
The legendary British-Australian actor, known for her unforgettable roles and unapologetic candor, also discussed how her poor diet has had a negative impact on her declining health.
“I’ve limited my life because of my longing for fudge or chopped liver, cheesecake,” the 83-year-old actor told the outlet. “All these absurdities. I shouldn’t have been so greedy. I should have been stronger.”
Later speaking with Elizabeth Day on the How to Fail Podcast, Margoyles shared how she failed: “The one thing I have not conquered and should have conquered is my weight. I am a blubber mass. I am fat,” the Age of Innocence star said.
She continued, “It’s such a defeat. A cream bun, a chocolate, a helping of chopped liver is more important than your health and aesthetic presentation?”
And her health has been in steep decline over the past few years.
Cow valve
After undergoing a transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure in 2023, Margolyes has been reflecting on mortality and the time she has left.
But in true fashion, the actor remains as sharp and humorous as ever, embracing life with her characteristic resilience.
“I now have a cow’s heart,” she told Jessie and Lennie Ware on the Table Manners podcast in October 2023.
“Well, not the whole heart. But I’ve had an aortic valve replaced with a cow’s aortic valve,” explained the Age of Innocence star, predicting that she would soon need a wheelchair to get around.
“I have a bad back. I’m probably going to be in a wheelchair soon. And you know, you have to come to terms with what life throws at you,” she said.
She wasn’t far off.