British-Australian actress Miriam Margolyes is an iconic actress who has many awards and recognitions to show for her success. Throughout her distinguished career, Margolyes has played several memorable roles. For example, she played Professor Sprout in the “Harry Potter” film series and Granny Manson Mingott in “The Age of Innocence.” Unsurprisingly, Margolyes won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Granny Manson.
Margolyes was born in Oxford on May 18, 1941. She is the only child of her parents, Joseph and Ruth Margolyes. After attending Oxford High School, she went to Newnham College, Cambridge, where she read English. However, in her 20s, she discovered her passion for acting while in college and appeared in several productions.
Margolyes found fame gradually. Initially, she began as a voice artist before starring in several radio and TV series. Her first major role came in the 1977 film “Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers,” in which she starred as Elephant Ethel, and she hasn’t looked back ever since.
However, besides her outstanding career and achievements, Margolyes is recognized for coming out as gay in 1966, when Britain still illegalized homosexuality. Despite the odds against her, Margolyes stood her ground and has remained in a relationship with her partner, Heather Sutherland, since 1967.
Despite being 82, Margolyes remains one of the LGBTQ+ community’s most recognizable voices and was duly recognized when she appeared on the cover of British Vogue’s 2023 Pride issue. The iconic actress looked incredibly elegant in her cover photos and posed nude for one of them, leaving little to the imagination. During her interview, Margolyes expressed her love for being gay and highlighted why gay people are special. Find out more below.
Coming out as gay in a country where it is illegal and frowned upon is never easy, but Margolyes didn’t let that stop her from being herself. However, shortly after coming out, Margolyes’ mom suffered a severe stroke. In the actress’s book, “This Much Is True,” she admitted to feeling guilty for her mom’s sickness and death. She wrote in the book:
“I always believed that my coming out in some way caused it. I had caused the person I loved most in the world a pain she could not bear. It was a horrendous time and I was very unhappy. I knew I couldn’t change what I was; I should not have told them.”
Margolyes cared for her ailing mom after her severe stroke until she died in 1974. Meanwhile, her dad lived until he was 96 and died in 1995. Although Margolyes always felt her parents never accepted her sexuality, she stayed true to herself and remained a proud lesbian.
In 1967, Margolyes met Sutherland while they were working on a BBC radio drama. The pair had an instant connection and have been together since then. However, despite being together for over five decades, Margolyes and Sutherland have not always lived together. Sutherland lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but spends time with Margolyes in London, Tuscany and Australia. The couple has found a way to make their relationship work despite the odds they have always faced, which makes Margolyes a much-worthy candidate for British Vogue’s annual Pride cover.
To celebrate the annual Pride month, the magazine listed a host of LGBTQ+ stars including singer and actress Janelle Monáe, actress Emma D’Arcy, singer, Rina Sawayama, actor Ncuti Gatwa and Margolyes. However, amid the younger generation of stars, Margolyes stole the show in more ways than one.
Margolyes is not someone you would expect to pose for a magazine cover, but she did so in style and with many glam lessons for the younger generation when she appeared in British Vogue’s Pride issue. In the cover photo, Margolyes donned a royal blue wrap, which she paired with a mesh headpiece and accessorized with a silver beaded necklace and matching earrings.
However, Margolyes didn’t stop there but went ahead to pose naked in another photo that paid homage to a scene from the 2003 movie, “Calendar Girls.” In the snapshot, Margolyes showed off her body, with strategically placed buns the only things preserving her modesty.
During the cover interview, Margolyes told Vogue that despite her confident photos, she has struggled to accept her shape. She confessed:
“I like my face. I think my face is kind and warm and open and smiley. But I hate my body. I hate big t*ts (and I have) a drooping belly, little twisted legs. I’m not thrilled with that. But you just make the best of it. You have to. You do the best you can.”
Margolyes also spoke about coming out as gay when she did in 1966, saying she never had any shame about being gay and knew it wasn’t criminal because it was about her and she couldn’t be a criminal. She also admitted:
“I think gay people are very lucky because we are not conventional, we are a group slightly apart. It gives us an edge. We’re good artists, we’re good musicians. And I like being gay. I wouldn’t want to be straight for anything.”
The legendary actress also admitted her regret at coming out to her parents because it hurt them and it wasn’t her wish to hurt people. Margolyes’ Vogue cover appearance and interview were refreshing and truly inspiring in many ways. She’s an icon indeed!
What do you think of Miriam Margolyes as an actress and person? What are your thoughts about her Vogue Pride issue cover photographs? Would you ever pose nude for a photoshoot in your 80s? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family members!
