After nearly six decades together, BAFTA-winning actress Miriam Margolyes and her long-term partner Heather Sutherland are finally preparing to share a home abroad. The 84-year-old Harry Potter star, known for her sharp wit and candid opinions, revealed the couple is planning to leave the UK for a quieter life in Tuscany.
Miriam admitted that her declining health has played a part in the decision. She has faced spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, a knee replacement, and even heart surgery to replace her aortic valve in 2023. “The world around us has lost its charm. And we just want each other in a beautiful place which we know,” she told The Observer.
Despite brushing off rumours that she was “at death’s door” as “b******s,” the actress conceded that her limited mobility has changed how she lives day to day. Registered as disabled, she now relies on walking sticks, a frame, and most recently, a mobility scooter, which she joked was “like a new toy” and “very good for shopping because it’s got a basket.”
Looking ahead to her final years with Heather, Miriam added: “We can toddle along and laugh and just quietly subside into old age. But together.” Reflecting on mortality, she observed: “We’re here for such a short time. It’s gone so fast. Mentally, I’m still fairly crisp.”
She has also spoken about assisted dying, saying she would consider it if illness left her speechless, doubly incontinent, or mentally impaired. Never one to sugar-coat her views on ageing, Miriam dismissed the idea of cosmetic surgery, remarking: “When you kiss someone, you don’t want filler. You want the subtle yielding of skin that belongs to someone you love.”
Though she admits she was “never beautiful,” she insists she has lived fully: “I’ve managed with the force of my personality and the energy of my intelligence. And that will have to do.”
