‘Harry Potter’ star Miriam Margolyes says she ‘can’t walk’ as spinal condition worsens
Miriam Margolyes, known for playing Professor Pomona Sprout in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, recently gave an update on her battle with a spinal condition.
The 83-year-old actress discussed her health struggles with Closer magazine, revealing that her mobility has been compromised as her condition progresses.
“I can’t walk very well, and I’m registered disabled,” Margolyes told the outlet. “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.”
She added: “It’s like having a new toy. It’s very good for shopping because it’s got a basket on it — and I do enjoy whizzing around on it immensely.”
Margolyes has been open about her battle with multiple health issues, including spinal stenosis and osteoporosis. Spinal stenosis is when the space inside one’s backbone is too narrow, which puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In an interview with the Telegraph on July 20, Margolyes predicted when she will die.
“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 said.
The “Call the Midwife” actress also discussed the challenges of aging, describing the physical restrictions as “limiting and depressing.”
“I yearn to play roles that don’t confine me to wheelchairs, but I’m just not strong enough,” she said.
In May 2023, Margolyes was hospitalized for a chest infection at the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea, London.
The following month, she appeared in British Vogue for Pride month, where she candidly spoke about how her diet has impacted her health.
“I’ve limited my life because of my longing for fudge or chopped liver, cheesecake,” she said. “All these absurdities. I shouldn’t have been so greedy. I should have been stronger.”
The actress discussed her weight, claiming it was a factor in her spine issues, in a separate interview earlier that year on the “How To Fail” podcast with Elizabeth Day.
“The one thing I have not conquered and should have conquered is my weight. I am a blubber mass. I am fat. And to be fat and 82 is truly pathetic,” she said. “It’s such a defeat. A cream bun, a chocolate, a helping of chopped liver is more important than your health and aesthetic presentation?”
“No, it isn’t more important, it’s just greed, lack of discipline, all the things I’m embarrassed by in myself.”
In October 2023, Margolyes shared that she underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure, which is a less invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. On the “Table Manners” podcast with Jessie and Lennie Ware, she joked, “I now have a cow’s heart.”
“Well, not the whole heart,” the actress clarified. “But I’ve had an aortic valve replaced with a cow’s aortic valve.”
In the same interview, she spoke about her mobility issues, predicting she would soon need a wheelchair to help her get around.
“I have a bad back. I’m probably going to be in a wheelchair soon. And you know, you have to come to terms with what life throws at you,” she said.
When Jessie asked if she had been “preparing” for this, the “Harry Potter” alum admitted: “Not really preparing for it. I’ve just sort of accepted that it’s probably going to happen.”
