Actress Miriam Margolyes, best known for her roles in the 1993 film The Age of Innocence and as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter franchise, posed for the June issue of Vogue magazine as part of its Pride Month celebrations.
She has been one of the many UK’s most prominent LGBTQ+ actors, musicians, politicians and athletes who took part at Vogue’s most recent issues where they spoke openly about their sexuality.
Others, alongside Miriam, have been actress Janelle Monáe, singer Rina Sawayama, The Last of Us’s Bella Ramsey, Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and House of the Dragon’s Emma D’Arcy. Among the interviews there were people who are not celebrities as well, among them the first gay couple to get married in the UK in 2014 to the oldest person to undergo gender reassignment surgery at 81.
Among the rest, Miriam told the magazine that she “never had any shame about being gay” and “wouldn’t want to be straight for anything,” adding: “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.”
Asked what she thinks about the future of LGBTQ rights in the UK, she was honest in that she has little hope. “It’s not so much the gay part of things. I’m worried about all of it,” she said. “I just think England has become a s***-hole. And the government is at the heart of the s***. There’s been a moral slide in England into the deep pit of iniquity.”
Vogue, 2023 🧁 #MiriamMargolyes pic.twitter.com/S0HhFtxrKd
— Miriam Margolyes OBE (@MMargolyes) June 13, 2023
Miriam has been an advocate for the LGBTQ community ever since she came out of the closet and shared with the world that she is a lesbian. This happened back in 1966 when homosexuality was illegal in Britain, thus her move was considered bold and very brave by people from the community who felt the same. In the Vogue interview, she spoke of those times and said, “I never had any shame about being gay or anything really. I knew it wasn’t criminal because it was me. I couldn’t be criminal.”
In her book This Much Is True, the actress revealed that her mother passed away shortly after Miriam revealed she was gay. This loss caused immense pain at Miriam who harbored guilt for many years. “I always believed that my coming out in some way caused it,” she wrote. “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.”
The award-winning actress posed for a photo for which she wore her grey tresses styled in a bun and sported eye-catching make up adding a deep rouge lip.
Miriam making her British Vogue debut in July 2023 “Pride & Joy” issue!
📸: Tim Walker
👗: Kate Phelan #BritishVogue #MiriamMargolyes pic.twitter.com/2vulz4XGoh— Miriam Margolyes OBE (@MMargolyes) June 13, 2023
Speaking about her body image, Miriam admitted that she has struggled with insecurities, but is determined to embrace her form regardless.
“I think my face is kind and warm and open and smiley,” she said. “But I hate my body. I hate big t**s [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.”
She commented: “It’s a strong position if you’re not afraid to be who you are.
“We’re all so insecure. People are frightened such a lot of the time and what I’ve always tried to do… (is) make people feel good about themselves.”
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