Miriam Margolyes, cherished worldwide as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series, has candidly shared her struggles with health and mobility at the age of 84. Known for her candor and wit, the actress acknowledged that her long-term struggle with weight has had a major negative influence on her wellbeing.
In a recent interview with Weekend Magazine, Margolyes reflected on the choices she regrets. “I’ve let my body down,” she confessed. “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.”
Her words struck a chord with fans who admire her openness about aging and health—an area many celebrities prefer to keep hidden.
Rejecting shortcuts: “Ozempic is not for me”
When asked whether she had considered Ozempic, the weight-loss drug that has become popular in celebrity circles, Margolyes was firm in her response: “Absolutely not. That’s for diabetics. You shouldn’t take medicine meant for people who are really sick. What I do think is we should not have food advertising on television.”
Her no-nonsense stance comes at a time when debates around Ozempic and other quick fixes are growing in the entertainment industry, raising ethical and medical questions.
A serious health scare and a cow’s heart valve
Margolyes has also faced life-threatening health challenges. In May 2023, she was admitted to the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea, London, with a chest infection. From her hospital bed, she reassured fans after undergoing a heart procedure.
“Thanks to my precious friends who thought of me on TAVI DAY,” she wrote on Facebook. “I did survive and am still in The Royal Brompton Hospital certainly till Sunday. I am growing energy but it’s still not quite me.”
The procedure she referenced, TAVI—Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation—provided her with a new lease on life. Later, on Jessie and Lennie Ware’s Table Manners podcast, she explained the astonishing detail: “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.”
The operation, a less invasive alternative to open-heart surgery, surprised even Margolyes. “I don’t know how common it is. I’d never heard of that operation,” she said. “But it saves you from having open heart surgery, which would be infinitely more invasive.”
Living with chronic pain and disability
Despite her recovery, Margolyes continues to live with spinal stenosis, a condition that narrows the spinal canal and causes severe pain and mobility issues. Speaking to Closer Magazine in 2023, she admitted the daily challenges she faces: “I can’t walk very well, and I’m registered disabled. I use all kinds of assistance.
In contrast to my mobility scooter, which is a lot of fun, I have a walker and two sticks, which are pretty monotonous.
Her openness regarding aging, disease, and handicap presents a genuine yet motivational image of resilience—embracing vulnerability while finding happiness in the little things.
Also Read: David Ketchum, Beloved ‘Get Smart’ Actor, Dies at 97: A Look Back at His Life and Legacy
A legacy beyond Hogwarts
While the world remembers her as the warm and witty Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes continues to inspire fans with her humor, honesty, and unfiltered reflections on life. She has gained popularity as an actress and become a spokesperson for self-reflection, acceptance, and resiliency in the face of aging by being transparent about her health issues.
