Miriam Margolyes

Miriam Margolyes
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Name	Miriam Margolyes
Caption	Margolyes in 2019
Birth date	18 May 1941
Birth place	Oxford, England
Alma mater	Newnham College, Cambridge
Occupation	Actress, voice artist
Years active	1965–present

Miriam Margolyes. Miriam Margolyes is an English actress and voice artist, renowned for her distinctive voice and versatile character performances across film, television, and theatre. A graduate of Newnham College, Cambridge, she has built a prolific career spanning over five decades, earning acclaim for roles in major productions like *Harry Potter* and *The Age of Innocence*. She is also known for her candid personality and has been honored with awards including a BAFTA Award and an OBE.

Early life and education

Miriam Margolyes was born in Oxford to a Jewish family; her mother was from London and her father, a physician, had emigrated from Leeds. She attended the Oxford High School before studying English at Newnham College, Cambridge, where she became a member of the famed Footlights dramatic club. During her time at Cambridge, she performed alongside future luminaries like John Cleese and Germaine Greer, which solidified her passion for performance. Her early exposure to classical theatre and literature at these institutions profoundly shaped her artistic development.

Career

Margolyes began her professional career on BBC Radio in the 1960s, quickly becoming a sought-after voice artist for animation and commercials. Her breakthrough screen role came in the 1980s with the BBC series *The Black Adder* and the film *Little Shop of Horrors*. She gained international recognition for her portrayal of Professor Pomona Sprout in the *Harry Potter* film series and won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in Martin Scorsese's *The Age of Innocence*. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with esteemed directors such as Mike Leigh on *Victory* and appeared in popular television shows like Call the Midwife and Doctor Who.

Personal life

Margolyes has been openly lesbian for much of her career and has been in a long-term relationship with her partner, Heather Sutherland, a historian specializing in Southeast Asia; the couple divides their time between London, Australia, and Italy. She is a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and has supported various charities, including Oxfam and Stonewall. In 2002, she published her autobiography, *This Much Is True*, which details her life and career with characteristic frankness. An outspoken critic of Conservative Party policies, she has also been a supporter of the Labour Party and causes related to social justice.

Filmography

Margolyes has an extensive filmography, with notable roles including the voice of the Matchmaker in Disney's *Mulan* and The Babe in *Babe*. She appeared in *End of Days* alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and in *The Life and Death of Peter Sellers*. Other significant film credits include *Cold Comfort Farm*, *Magnolia*, and *The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society*. Her voice work also extends to video games, such as the *Fable* series.

Stage work

A respected stage actress, Margolyes made her professional theatre debut in 1965 at the Oxford Playhouse. She has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in productions like The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale. In 1992, she earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for her one-woman show, *Dickens' Women*, which she performed internationally, including seasons in London's West End and on Broadway. Other notable stage performances include roles in The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre and *Wicked* in Sydney.

Awards and recognition

For her contributions to drama, Margolyes was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2002 New Year Honours. She won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for *The Age of Innocence* and received a British Academy Television Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for *The Black Adder*. She has also been honored with the Audie Award for her narration of Charles Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit. In 2013, she was inducted into the Audio Hall of Fame in recognition of her distinguished voice acting career.

Category:English actresses Category:English voice actresses Category:1941 births Category:Living people