Beloved “Harry Potter” star Miriam Margolyes is getting candid about her health. The 84-year-old actress, who played Professor Sprout in the films, revealed to Weekend Magazine that her ongoing battles with weight and mobility have taken a toll.
(Photo by Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images)“I’ve let my body down,” Margolyes admitted. “I haven’t taken care of it. I have to walk with a walker now. I wish I’d done exercise. It’s the most ghastly waste of time, except that it keeps you going. So, I’m foolish.”
While discussing her condition, Margolyes also pushed back against suggestions that she try weight-loss medications like Ozempic. “Absolutely not,” she said firmly. “That’s for diabetics. You shouldn’t take medicine meant for people who are really sick.”
The Actress Reflects on Mortality
Margolyes’ candid reflections come just months after she revealed she doesn’t believe she has much time left. Speaking to The Times in May, as quoted by Mirror, she shared, “When you know that you haven’t got long to live, and I’m probably going to die within the next five or six years, if not before, I’m loath to leave behind performing. It’s such a joy.”
She added, “I yearn to play roles that don’t confine me to wheelchairs, but I’m just not strong enough.”
Despite her honesty about mortality, Margolyes has made it clear she is not afraid of death. In an earlier interview with British Vogue, she said, “When you’re young, you never think about death. You just think about your next f—k basically. I think about death a lot. You can’t help but be aware that the amount of time ahead is less than the time before you.”
Fans Rally Around ‘Harry Potter’ Legend After Heartbreaking Health Update
After an update was shared by one of the fan clubs in May, Potterheads came together with best wishes for the actor.
Past Surgeries & Ongoing Health Struggles
(Photo by John Li/Getty Images)Margolyes has faced a string of health challenges in recent years. In 2023, she underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement after a heart issue and revealed with her trademark wit, “I’ve got a cow’s heart now. Well, not the whole heart. I’ve had an aortic valve replaced by a cow’s aortic valve.”
Although the procedure saved her from invasive open-heart surgery, she has also been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a painful condition that narrows the spinal canal. The diagnosis left her registered as disabled and reliant on mobility aids.
“I can’t walk very well, and I’m registered disabled,” she told Closer Magazine, as per Independent. “I use all kinds of assistance. I’ve got two sticks and a walker, and they’re such a bore, but I’ve just got a mobility scooter, which is a lot of fun.”
An Iconic Career & Lasting Legacy
Beyond her role in the “Harry Potter” films, Margolyes has enjoyed a long and varied career, with appearances in “Doctor Who,” “Call the Midwife,” and “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.”
Her openness about health, aging, and mortality has only deepened the admiration of her fans, many of whom continue to send her love and support.
The actress has also reflected on the passage of time within the “Harry Potter” family, which has mourned the losses of beloved cast members, including Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane, and, most recently, Maggie Smith. Despite her challenges, Margolyes remains candid, sharp-witted, and grateful for the joy acting has brought her. “I’m still ducking and diving,” she said. “I’m still open to new experiences. I’m just very conscious that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.”
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Beloved ‘Harry Potter’ Star, 84, Bravely Shares Vulnerable Update on Her Health