Beloved Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes shared that she doesn’t have much time left.
At 83, Miriam Margolyes has had a successful career, starring in family favorites like Babe and Flushed Away, as well as prestigious roles in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet and theater productions.
In a recent interview, the beloved actress shared sad news about her health, leaving fans heartbroken.
“She’s a legend and such a wonderful person. She’ll be deeply missed,” one fan wrote.
Another wrote: “She’s amazing, always fighting for justice and inclusion. We’re losing one of the good ones, but her warmth and wisdom will live on. I’ll miss her.”
“Surely the Wizarding World can save her!” another fan said.
In 2002, Margolyes was awarded an OBE for her work in drama.
Miriam Margolyes won a BAFTA for The Age of Innocence and Best Supporting Actress at the LA Critics Circle Awards for Little Dorrit.
Earlier this year, she said, “I love making people laugh. I’ve done that all my life.”
Many know her as Professor Sprout from Harry Potter. She stirred controversy this year by saying adult fans of the series should “grow up” and “get over it,” sparking a big debate with her bold, outspoken comments.
“I do Cameos (personalized video messages), and people tell me they’re having a Harry Potter-themed wedding. I think, ‘Oh no, what’s their wedding night going to be like?’ I can’t even imagine,” she joked in an interview with New Zealand’s 1News. “Harry Potter is wonderful, and I’m very grateful for it, but for me, it’s over.”
Last year, Margolyes shared that she had heart surgery.
In an interview on the Table Manners podcast, she explained more, saying, “I have a cow’s heart now. Well, not the whole heart, but I had my aortic valve replaced with a cow’s valve.”
“I’m not sure how common it is. I’d never heard of that surgery before. But it avoids open-heart surgery, which is much more invasive,” she explained.
According to Mayo Clinic, TAVR is a procedure to replace a narrowed aortic valve that doesn’t open fully. During TAVR, doctors replace the damaged valve with one made from cow or pig heart tissue.
Margolyes also has spinal stenosis, which happens when the space inside the spine is too narrow, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Despite her health issues, the Call The Midwife star says she plans to keep working.
She told Radio Times, “I’m worried I won’t have enough money for carers when I eventually get paralyzed or whatever happens. I’m saving money to pay for people to take care of me and my partner.”
For the first time in 12 years, despite her recent heart surgery and spinal condition, Margolyes will perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the world’s largest performing arts festival. She will bring to life some of the most colorful and iconic characters from Charles Dickens’ novels.
However, in a recent interview with The Telegraph, she talked about how her health issues are affecting her acting career.
Margolyes said, “I long to play roles that don’t involve wheelchairs, but I’m just not strong enough.” She shared that her health problems are “limiting and depressing.”
The actress admitted that she feels like her life is coming to an end.
“When you know you don’t have much time left – and I probably won’t live more than five or six more years, maybe less – I’m sad to leave performing behind. It brings me so much joy,” she said.