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14 Weird And Wonderful Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Miriam Margolyes

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From playing Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter franchise to her always-outrageous TV interviews, Miriam Margolyes is an undisputed national treasure.

Not only did the British-Australian actor earn a Bafta for her role in Martin Scorsese’s 1993 film The Age Of Innocence, but she’s appeared in everything from critically-acclaimed dramas to family comedies and more.

Now aged 82, Miriam is as popular and in-demand as ever. We’ve taken a look back through her career to bring you the facts you never knew about the true showbiz icon…

Her on-screen credits go back to 1965

Miriam pictured in the early years of her acting career
Miriam pictured in the early years of her acting career

Radio Times via Getty Images

After starting out in theatre, Miriam’s first TV role credit was the 1965 British anthology series Theatre 625, in which she appeared as Rita in the episode Enter Solly Gold.

Her first ever big screen role came a few years later, when she played a minor role in the 1969 British comedy A Nice Girl Like Me.

She competed on University Challenge long before she was famous

Miriam Margolyes on University Challenge in the early 1960s
Miriam Margolyes on University Challenge in the early 1960s

The Cambridge alum appeared on the long-running university quiz show’s first series back in 1963 to represent Newnham College.

In typical Miriam fashion, the future Bafta winner dropped an F-bomb in frustration when she botched an answer, which she has long claimed to be the first case of anyone doing so on the BBC.

Then, of course, she dropped another f-bomb on the BBC almost 60 years later

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Miriam has earned herself a reputation of being a delightfully unpredictable interviewee over the years.

On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme last year, she bluntly said that she wanted to say “fuck you, bastard” to the newly-appointed chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who appeared in the hotseat just before her, not realising she was broadcasting to the nation.

She later admitted that she didn’t exactly see the funny side after her explicit blunder, which came after she swearing yet again on ITV’s This Morning earlier in the year… only to do it again last month.

She was in the original cast of Wicked

Miriam with her Wicked co-stars
Miriam with her Wicked co-stars

Dave M. Benett via Getty Images

Miriam appeared in the original London production of Wicked opposite Idina Menzel, Helen Dallimore, Adam Garcia and The Young Ones actor Nigel Planer.

The iconic retelling of The Wizard Of Oz opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in September 2006, with Miriam appearing as headmistress Madame Morrible. On opening night Miriam praised the “wonderful” talent in the cast that she was “lucky enough to share the stage with”.

She’s made more than one audio sex tape (well, sort of)

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