Miriam Margoyles: ‘I’m probably going to die within the next five or six years’

Harry Potter star Miriam Margoyles has revealed she believes she doesn’t have long left to live.

“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,” the actress said in a recent interview with The Times.

“It’s such a joy. I yearn to play roles that don’t confine me to wheelchairs, but I’m just not strong enough,” she went on.

The star, who has suffered a number of health issues over the years including spinal stenosis, arthritis, and rheumatism, underwent heart surgery in 2023.

“I’ve got a cow’s heart now,” Margoyles said of the procedure in an appearance on Jessie Ware’s podcast Table Manners. “Well, not the whole heart. I’ve had an aortic valve replaced by a cow’s aortic valve.

“I don’t know how common it is. I’d never heard of that operation. But it saves you from having open heart surgery, which would be infinitely more invasive.”

The actress has previously confirmed her ability to walk is impaired. “I can’t walk very well, and I’m registered disabled,” she said to Closer magazine. “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.”

“I’m often in pain… bodily conditions make life difficult, so it’s unlikely I will do it again,” Margoyles shared in a seperate conversation about performing on stage on Metro. “But I love connecting with an audience, and I love sharing my knowledge and love of Dickens.”

She also spoke on Loose Women about the reality that she will require carers in the future.

“One day I will need carers,” she admitted. “I want to be comfortable and I want them to be properly paid for. It is really because I want to make money though, and they pay me to do it.”