{"id":55133,"date":"2024-07-23T01:01:35","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T23:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2076199"},"modified":"2024-07-23T14:05:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T12:05:33","slug":"miriam-margolyes-talks-bbc-two-travel-series-a-new-australian-adventure","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/miriam-margolyes-talks-bbc-two-travel-series-a-new-australian-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Miriam Margolyes talks BBC Two travel series, A\u00a0New Australian Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

The actress sits down with Radio Times as she discusses her new series. <\/p>

By Sarfraz Manzoor\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 23 July 2024 at 23:01 PM<\/p>

\n\n

As an actor, 83-year-old Miriam Margolyes is probably best known for her roles as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films, Mother Mildred in Call the Midwife and her BAFTA-winning role in Martin Scorsese\u2019s The Age of Innocence. But her talents don\u2019t stop there \u2014 she\u2019s also the author of three books, with her memoir This Much Is True selling more than three million copies. In recent years she\u2019s become renowned for her outrageous tell-all appearances on chat shows, as well as her work presenting documentaries. Her latest is a three-part BBC travel series Miriam Margolyes: A New Australian Adventure.<\/p>\n

So, Miriam, what inspired you to make this new series about Australia?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been going to Australia since 1980 and it has changed a lot. I wanted to make a series about belonging, to find out what tribes people feel they belong to \u2013 I hope viewers find it to be truthful, revealing and entertaining.<\/p>\n

Over three episodes you meet a lot of ordinary Aussies \u2014 do you find talking to strangers easy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love to meet people. I love to ask questions. If I see a park bench that\u2019s empty, I go to the other one where there\u2019s somebody sitting. My gift is that when people meet me they are unafraid, and that is a very big part of why I can get people to talk to me.<\/p>\n

In the series you\u2019re filmed travelling around on a mobility scooter \u2014 how do you feel about being a role model for older people?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I started kind of failing physically, I remember saying to directors and producers, please don\u2019t show me clambering out of a car or climbing upstairs on my hands and knees. I didn\u2019t want people to see that because I was embarrassed to see myself looking so pathetic. But, subsequently, I\u2019ve met loads of people who have said I gave them the courage to do things that they never thought they could. So I\u2019m very pleased about that.<\/p>\n

\"Miriam\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Miriam Margolyes in A New Australian Adventure.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Southern Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

You\u2019ve had a long career in acting but in recent times have become as well-known for chat show appearances, writing books and making documentaries. Why do you think you\u2019re having such an extraordinary second act?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I find it puzzling and very gratifying. I can\u2019t totally explain it, but I do credit Graham Norton with a great deal of my success. I was always told that I would come into my own when I was older \u2013 I just didn\u2019t know I would have to be this old for it to happen.<\/p>\n

You have a lucrative side business filming video messages for fans on the website Cameo, and you recently revealed you had earned \u00a3365,000 from that since Covid. What\u2019s the most common thing you\u2019re asked to say?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s usually to celebrate someone\u2019s birthday, wedding anniversary or marriage. I\u2019ve got 30 of them to do today\u2026<\/p>\n

You often talk about how much making money matters \u2014 you said you did this new series for the money and were paid \u00a3250,000 for your recent memoir. Have you got a gigantic gambling addiction we don\u2019t know about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, I don\u2019t gamble at all! I\u2019m worried that I won\u2019t have enough money for carers when I finally get paralysed or whatever it is that\u2019s going to happen to me. I\u2019m saving up cash so that I can pay people to look after me and my partner. We don\u2019t have children, so I need to make sure I\u2019m going to be looked after in the way that I\u2019ve become accustomed.<\/p>\n

You had a recent heart procedure \u2014 how did that influence how you felt about death and mortality?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m always quoting William Saroyan, who says: \u201cI know that everyone has to die, but I thought an exception might be made in my case.\u201d I know now that is definitely not true. What do I think happens after death? My therapist used to say there may be a party. I honestly don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything, I think you just stop, but it would be nice if there\u2019s a party.<\/p>\n

You seem utterly fearless about talking about sex, religion, death and politics. Are you an open book \u2014 or is there some stuff that you hold back?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a completely open book, which is a bit sad. It would be good to say I think there\u2019s something that\u2019s being held back, but I don\u2019t think there is. Really, what you see is what you get. I\u2019m just Miriam Margolyes doing my best.<\/p>\n

\"Miriam\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Miriam Margolyes in A New Australian Adventure.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Southern Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Can you tell me something about you that might surprise people who think they know you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I suppose it would be that I want to be taken seriously. That is something that people might not expect of me. They might think I like rolling around, making people laugh and I do \u2013 genuinely I do love that \u2013 but I do also want to be taken seriously.<\/p>\n

And finally\u2026 is it really true that you always keep a raw onion in your bag at all times?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes! I like the taste of onion and nearly everything is a bit peely-wally these days. There isn\u2019t a lot of sharpness about flavour and I like to have a strong flavour. So I really love onion. But I think I may shift to garlic because it\u2019s easier to carry.<\/p>

Miriam Margolyes: A New Australian Adventure airs on Friday 2nd August on BBC Two at 9pm.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out more of our\u00a0Documentaries<\/a>\u00a0coverage or visit our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Streaming Guide<\/a>\u00a0to find out what\u2019s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to\u00a0The Radio Times Podcast<\/a>.<\/b><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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