Honestly, if you only know Miriam Margolyes as the lady who screams at mandrakes in Harry Potter, you're missing out on about 90% of the chaos. She’s way more than just Professor Sprout. She is a BAFTA-winning powerhouse, a Dickensian scholar, and quite possibly the only person on earth who can tell a filthy story on daytime TV and still be called a "national treasure" by the end of the segment.
People usually categorize her as a "character actress." That's basically industry shorthand for "she’s better than the leads but doesn't have a typical Hollywood face." But looking back at the massive list of Miriam Margolyes movies and tv shows, you start to see a weird, wonderful pattern. She doesn't just play roles; she invades them.
The Roles That Actually Define Her (And It’s Not Just Potter)
Most people start the conversation with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Fair enough. She was iconic as Pomona Sprout. But if you want to see what she can actually do with a script, you have to go back to 1993.
Martin Scorsese—yes, that Scorsese—cast her as Mrs. Mingott in The Age of Innocence. It wasn't a huge role in terms of minutes, but she was so good she snatched a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress. She played this enormous, wealthy matriarch who controlled New York society from her chair. It was subtle. It was sharp. It was nothing like the bubbly, eccentric persona we see on chat shows today.
The Dickens Obsession
She’s obsessed with Charles Dickens. Like, properly obsessed.
👉 See also: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
- Little Dorrit (1988): She played Flora Finching and won the LA Film Critics Circle Award.
- Dickens' Women: This was her one-woman stage show where she played 23 different characters.
- The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017): She played Mrs. Fisk, the housekeeper.
- Dickens in America: A 2005 documentary where she literally retraced his footsteps across the States.
She understands the grime and the humor of the Victorian era better than almost anyone alive. When she speaks Dickens, it doesn't sound like "period drama" dialogue. It sounds real.
Why Her Voice Is Everywhere
You’ve probably heard her voice a thousand times without realizing it. She has one of the most versatile sets of pipes in the business. In the 70s, she was the go-to for everything from educational TV to... well, let’s just say "adult" audio stories (she’s very open about this).
Then came the movies. She was Fly the dog in Babe. Think about that. The heart and soul of that movie was a border collie voiced by a Jewish lady from Oxford. She was the Matchmaker in Mulan, Aunt Sponge in James and the Giant Peach, and Mrs. Astrakhan in Happy Feet.
The Blackadder Era
If you grew up in the UK, you know her from Blackadder. She played the Spanish Infanta in the first series, then Lady Whiteadder in the second, and finally Queen Victoria in the Christmas Special. Working with Rowan Atkinson and Stephen Fry cemented her status in the British comedy "brat pack" of the 80s. She was loud, she was gross, and she was funnier than most of the men on screen.
✨ Don't miss: A Simple Favor Blake Lively: Why Emily Nelson Is Still the Ultimate Screen Mystery
The Modern Pivot: Travelogues and Call the Midwife
Lately, the Miriam Margolyes movies and tv shows list has shifted toward her just being herself. And let’s be real, "Miriam Margolyes as herself" is the best character she’s ever played.
Her documentary series like Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian and Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland (with Alan Cumming) are masterclasses in how to be an interviewer. She asks the questions no one else dares to ask. She’ll walk up to a complete stranger and ask about their sex life or their bank account within three minutes. It’s cringey, but it’s authentic.
Then there’s Call the Midwife. As Sister Mildred, she brought a much-needed jolt of energy to Nonnatus House. She played a nun who was bossy, kind, and deeply spiritual—proving she hasn't lost her touch for dramatic acting even while her "celebrity" persona has grown so big.
The 2026 Perspective: Where to Start?
If you're looking to actually explore her filmography, don't just watch the clips of her being "naughty" on The Graham Norton Show. Look at the range.
🔗 Read more: The A Wrinkle in Time Cast: Why This Massive Star Power Didn't Save the Movie
- For the Art: Watch The Age of Innocence. It’s a masterpiece of repressed emotion.
- For the Laughs: Find the Blackadder II episode "Bells." Her performance as Lady Whiteadder is pure comedy gold.
- For the Heart: Ladies in Lavender. She stars alongside Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. Watching those three titans work together is a rare treat.
- For the Weirdness: Check out her voice work in Doctor Who (2023) as The Meep. It's bizarre and brilliant.
The thing about Miriam is that she doesn't care if you like her. She’s 84 now, and she’s still working, still swearing, and still delivering performances that younger actors can't touch. She recently appeared in the 2025 short A Friend of Dorothy, proving she’s not slowing down.
Actionable Insight for Fans
If you want to truly appreciate the depth of her career, stop looking for "Miriam Margolyes" and start looking for the character. She is a chameleon.
Next Steps:
- Track down her audiobooks. Her recording of Oliver Twist is widely considered one of the best ever made.
- Watch her travel documentaries back-to-back. You’ll see a side of the world—and her—that isn't polished for Hollywood.
- *Check out her 2023 memoir, Oh Miriam!.* It fills in the gaps between the roles, especially her complicated relationship with her co-stars (like Steve Martin on the set of Little Shop of Horrors).
Her filmography is a chaotic, brilliant map of the last sixty years of British and international entertainment. Dig into the deep cuts. You won't regret it.