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’m still a bit of a child,” says #MiriamMargolyes. “I can’t resist naughtiness.” In #BritishVogue’s July 2023 issue, the actor is at her very best – cheeky, wonderfully candid, and an absolute breath of fresh air. https://t.co/BF9nqdsNdL pic.twitter.com/sLPtbGBgnj

— British Vogue (@BritishVogue) June 13, 2023

“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.

Registered disabled
In addition to heart disease, the stage and screen actor is also facing mobility challenges due to spinal stenosis, a condition that has significantly impacted her daily life.

In a recent interview with Radio Times, Margoyles – who’s registered “disabled” – admitted she now relies on a mobility scooter to get around and is coming to terms with the reality of her declining physical abilities.

However she’s facing it all with humor and honesty: “When I started kind of failing physically, I remember saying to directors and producers, please don’t show me clambering out of a car or climbing upstairs on my hands and knees,” Margoyles, who voiced the lovable sheepdog in the 1995 film Babe, told the outlet.

Beneath the humor, the actor admits she finds the physical constraints of old age “limiting and depressing” and says though she wants to “play parts that aren’t just sitting in wheelchairs,” she’s “not strong enough.”

Financial fears
While Margolyes has always been known for her confidence and outspoken nature, she admits that her declining health brings financial concerns.

“I’m worried that I won’t have enough money for carers when I finally get paralysed or whatever it is that’s going to happen to me. I’m saving up cash so that I can pay people to look after me and my partner,” she said, referring to Heather Sutherland, who she’s been in a relationship with since 1968.

Speaking with Radio Times, she continued, “We don’t have children, so I need to make sure I’m going to be looked after in the way that I’ve become accustomed.”

‘Going to die’
Adored for her unfiltered and often hilarious takes on life, Margolyes doesn’t shy away from discussing death, and rather than fear it, she seems to be at peace with what lies ahead.

“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,” the Call the Midwife told the Telegraph. “I’m loath to leave behind performing. It’s such a joy.”

While spinal stenosis and heart surgery have slowed her down physically, Margoyles’ spirit remains unbreakable. And if there’s one thing we can all learn from her, it’s that facing challenges head-on, with humor and courage, is the best way forward.

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