Miriam Margolyes

A household name, Miriam Margolyes has enjoyed a prosperous career as an actress, television personality, writer and political activist, who gained prominence as an actress on both stage and screen. Famed for her roles in the likes of The Age of Innocence, Little Shop of Horrors and Blackadder, Miriam was appointed OBE for her Services to Drama. A talented actress and opinionated activist, Miriam is highly sought after to attend events of all kinds, sharing stories from her fruitful career across the screens along with her advocacy for the LGBT+ community as an openly lesbian woman.

First gaining a reputation as a voice artist, Miriam’s first major role saw her perform as Elephant Ethel in Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers. Since then, Miriam has appeared in Blackadder, The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, The Age of Innocence, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and Little Dorrit to name but a few. She has also appeared as Professor Sprout in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets and played Mother Mildred in Call The Midwife. In reward for her talents as an actress, Miriam has been awarded a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2022.

Outside of her work as an actress and TV personality, Miriam is a passionate political activist, having been a member of the Workers Revolutionary Party and a signatory of Jews for Justice for Palestinians. Miriam is also a passionate advocate for the LGBT+ community, living her life openly as a lesbian. Since 1968, Miriam has been in a relationship with Heather Sutherland, and has used her prominence as an actress to spread acceptance and awareness of the LGBT+ community. Most recently, Miriam has been campaigning to secure an LGBTQ+-friendly host country for the 2030 World Cup with ‘The Big Gay Donation’, encouraging people to donate to ensure that the World Cup is hosted in a country where the LGBT+ community can enjoy the football and feel safe.

Using her platform to advocate for the LGBT+ community, Miriam is the perfect choice as a speaker for conferences themed around LGBT+ acceptance and awareness. Expressing that she regretted coming out to her parents, Miriam now advocates for increased support of the LGBT+ community – stating that she is both ‘thrilled’ and ‘ecstatic’ to be a lesbian. Encouraging others to come out and live as their true selves, Miriam enjoyed her first Pride parade at 81 and encourages others to parade their sexuality and identity loud and proud. If you are looking for a powerful LGBT+ advocate to speak at your next event, look no further than Miriam Margolyes.