The Harry Potter fandom breathed a collective sigh of relief when our favorite Herbology professor, Miriam Margolyes, reaffirmed her “unapologetically woke” status on Ireland’s The Late Late Show with Patrick Kielty. At 84, the British-Australian actress proves that age hasn’t dulled her fire—or her mouth.
Known for her candor on everything from her love of Laurence Olivier to her beef with John Cleese, Margolyes has also been outspoken in her solidarity with the people of Gaza. Appearing on the The Late Late Show last Saturday, the Age of Innocence and Harry Potter star reminded audiences why she remains one of the most fearless voices in entertainment.
When asked about her activism and unmistakably Hufflepuff-brand progressivism, Margolyes leaned in with her trademark blend of mischief and effortless charm that would impress Professor Flitwick himself.
Margoyles explained:
“I’m a left-wing d*ke, and I love it. I love being a lesbian. I’m not going to apologize for that. It’s great fun.”
When Kielty asked what exactly was so fun about it, both promptly broke into laughter.
You can watch the moment here:
@latelaterte Never change Miriam, never change 👑🌈 #LateLate
Margolyes has long worn her liberal views with pride. On a 2023 episode of The Graham Norton Show, she opened up about becoming a trans ally, admitting it initially challenged her grammar-nerd instincts.
“I was very keen on grammar,” she said, recalling that a trans actress, Zoe Terakes, helped her understand singular they/them pronouns.
Margolyes recalled:
“She said, ‘What does it matter to you? If you can make somebody happy by calling them ‘they’ instead of ‘he or she,’ why not do it?’ I thought, that’s right. It doesn’t matter about grammar.”
See, Joanne “Karen” Rowling? It’s not that difficult to understand.
And it’s not the first time Margolyes has clashed with the Harry Potter author. She’s publicly criticized Rowling’s anti-trans rhetoric and defended the younger cast members who’ve spoken out.
“Now they’re grown up and they have opinions,” she told The Telegraph last year. “They shouldn’t be silenced just because they were in her films.”
Recently, Rowling reignited her feud with Emma Watson, accusing the actress of being “ignorant” about real-world struggles in a lengthy post on X.
Rowling wrote:
“Had Emma not decided in her most recent interview to declare that she loves and treasures me … I might never have been this honest.”
During her Late Late Show appearance, Margolyes also addressed why she’s been outspoken about Gaza, noting it’s a matter of moral clarity for her as a Jewish woman.
While condemning the October 7 Hamas attacks, she said:
“It’s important because I’m Jewish, and it’s very important that people realize that all Jewish people are not killers, they’re not b**ards. It’s not like that. This is just a section of the Israeli people that are like that, not Jewish people, and I want that to be known and understood and be clear.”
Her comments drew both praise and backlash online, but Margolyes didn’t seem fazed.
Margolyes continued:
“What happened in Gaza was utterly wrong, wicked, and terrifying. The response to the Hamas attack — the Hamas attack was terrible, of course it was, but it came from 70 years of oppression… My heart is open to anyone who needs help… and they need that.”
You can watch the interview clip here:
@latelaterte “I’m shocked at the way it took so long for the international community to respond to what was going on.” #MiriamMargolyes on why she’s been so vocal about Gaza. #LateLate
Her activism isn’t limited to politics. In 2022, she appeared in a cheeky video urging queer football fans to push back against FIFA’s consideration of Saudi Arabia as a future World Cup host.
Margolyes advocated:
“It’s our big gay duty to make sure this doesn’t happen again. After all, a World Cup without queer people just isn’t a World Cup.”
You can watch the donation video from Stonewall UK below:
Honestly, leave it to Miriam to turn FIFA shade into a full-blown queer rallying cry—poetic and political.
And both Harry Potter and non-Harry Potter fans gave all the points to this Hufflepuff on social media:
For the entire interview, watch below:
- YouTubeThe Late Late Show
The actress was also on The Late Late Show to promote her new autobiography, The Little Book of Miriam, described as:
“Packed with her wit, wisdom, and unfiltered stories, The Little Book of Miriam is a memory palace of Miriam’s extraordinary life’s standout moments, opinions, and conclusions. Never forget that this is a woman who knocked back WARREN BEATTY, played to an audience of TWO THOUSAND NAKED LESBIANS, injected sex into the CADBURY’S CARAMEL BUNNY, and was VOGUE’S COVER STAR AGED 83. Miriam is always full of surprises — and this book is too.”
Fearless, funny, and fully herself, Miriam Margolyes continues to prove that being “unapologetically woke” is, in fact, great fun. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to start a petition to officially crown her the new Queen of Harry Potter—robes, wand, and all.
