In a deeply personal and unexpectedly moving new BBC documentary, Miriam Margolyes lays bare her thoughts on mortality, fame, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind — revealing a side of herself rarely seen by the public.
Known for her outrageous humour and unapologetic personality, the 84-year-old star appears both sharp-witted and strikingly vulnerable in Miriam Made Me Me, a project that began as a casual podcast idea before evolving into an intimate film. Shot partly on a phone by her close friend Simon Draper, the documentary offers an unfiltered glimpse into her private world.
One of the most haunting moments comes as Miriam prepares for a spinal injection to ease chronic pain. Admitting she feels “anxious and frightened,” she half-jokes about death — but the fear beneath is unmistakably real. She says death feels extremely close, like it is waiting just around the corner, and confesses she has always been scared of it. At the same time, she admits she feels almost angry about the inevitability of it, calling it “a bit of a liberty” that life must simply end.
Despite confronting her own mortality, Miriam still clings to hope. She says she would like to reach 90 — but only if she can remain fully herself, refusing the idea of losing her identity or dignity in old age.
The documentary balances these heavy reflections with moments of warmth, humour, and humanity. Miriam is seen performing to packed audiences, still commanding the stage with the charisma that defined her decades-long career — from Blackadder to Harry Potter. She admits she hopes people will remember her for her acting, even as her larger-than-life personality often steals the spotlight.
Yet it is her relationships that give the film its emotional core. A touching visit to her lifelong friend Joyce Wiggins, now living in a care home, reveals Miriam’s enduring compassion. The two reminisce about their youth, sharing laughter despite Joyce’s frailty. Miriam promises to help improve her situation — and later, heartbreakingly, the documentary is dedicated to Joyce following her death.
Miriam reflects that her life has always been about making people laugh and feel better, saying she wants to be close to others and never let them go — a sentiment that underscores her fear of loss as much as her love for connection.
The film also touches on the realities of ageing: health struggles, bladder issues before performances, and the emotional toll of watching friends battle illness. She reveals she spends much of her time comforting loved ones or reassuring those facing cancer — while quietly acknowledging that not all of them survive.
Still, there is no shortage of her trademark bluntness. Miriam candidly discusses money, revealing she has earned over £320,000 from personalised Cameo videos and openly admitting she turned to writing books in her eighties largely for financial reasons. She shares that she received £250,000 for each of her recent books, jokingly shrugging off any embarrassment.
Looking ahead, Miriam hints that her fourth book may be her last. She plans a nationwide tour across the UK — including a bold show at the Royal Albert Hall — before potentially stepping back from the spotlight. The tour, titled Miriam’s Full English, will explore identity, culture, and what it means to be English in today’s world, blending politics with her famously risqué humour.
She admits the book will be “quite filthy and quite political,” adding that although she no longer has sex, she remembers it fondly — and believes society should talk about such things more openly.
As the documentary closes, one thing is clear: while Miriam Margolyes may feel death approaching, she refuses to fade quietly. Instead, she continues to embrace life with honesty, humour, and an unshakable desire to connect — determined to leave behind not just a legacy of laughter, but a deeply human story of courage in the face of the inevitable.
