British-Australian actor and comic Miriam Margolyes has become an unlikely Vogue cover star at the grand age of 82, stunning on the British fashion bible’s latest Pride edition.
The Harry Potter star – who came out as a lesbian back in 1966 and an Australian citizen in 2013 – stars in one particular shot where her modesty is saved by nothing more than some carefully placed cupcakes.
As well as interviewing for the publication, Margolyes joined a number of other LGBTQI+ stars including Rina Sawayama, Janelle Monae and Bella Ramsey posing for Vogue’s July Issue, which focuses on Pride And Joy. (See some more images at the bottom of this article.)
In true Margolyes style, she’s completely unabashed in the interview that accompanies the shoot.
Commenting on her body, she said, “I like my face. I think my face is kind and warm and open and smiley.
“But I hate my body. I hate big tits [and I have] a drooping belly, little twisted legs. I’m not thrilled with that. But you just make the best of it. You have to. You do the best you can.”
Margolyes also spoke about coming out in 1966 when homosexuality was still illegal in Britain.
She said: “I never had any shame about being gay or anything really. I knew it wasn’t criminal because it was me. I couldn’t be criminal.
“I actually find lesbians a bit on the boring side, because they’re a bit heavy-handed about it all,” she admitted.
“I think gay people are very lucky, because we are not conventional, we are a group slightly apart. It gives us an edge. We’re good artists, we’re good musicians. And I like being gay. I wouldn’t want to be straight for anything.”
She also revealed that in that she recently had a heart scare that would require an operation for a stent to be fitted.
Despite the operation, she said she’s “not terrified”. She added: “When you’re young, you never think about death. You just think about your next fuck basically. I think about death a lot.
“Oh, every day, for sure. Every morning when I get up I think, ‘Hmmm, another day,’ which maybe I wasn’t expecting.”
More shots from the Vogue shoot…
Actor Bella Ramsey
Singer Rina Sawayama (above) and Janelle Monáe (below)