Miriam Margolyes on Turning Down Role in MCU’s ‘Agatha’: “Really It’s a Story About My Own Greed”

Miriam Margolyes is widely recognized as a versatile actress. She initially gained fame for her work as a voice artist before transitioning into film and television. Her notable roles include Elephant Ethel in ‘Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers’ (1977), and various characters in ‘Blackadder’ alongside Rowan Atkinson. Margolyes received critical acclaim for her performances as Flora Finching in ‘Little Dorrit’ (1988) and Mrs. Mingott in ‘The Age of Innocence’ (1993), earning her a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Many younger audiences know Margolyes for her portrayal of Professor Sprout in the ‘Harry Potter’ film series. Despite her extensive career, Margolyes remains active in the industry. Her creative ventures span across various roles and projects, which are too numerous to summarize fully. However, she shares insights into her career in her book ‘Oh Miriam!’, released in September 2023.

In her book, Margolyes reveals that Marvel Studios contacted her regarding a potential role in ‘Agatha,’ a spinoff of ‘WandaVision’ centered around Agatha Harkness.

They contacted me and said, ‘we’re doing a story about witches’. I thought, ‘oh god, not witches again, because I’ve done that with Harry Potter’.

Margolyes understood that the show wouldn’t suit her mainly because it was filmed in the USA.

I don’t like America and I didn’t want to be in Georgia for four months. So I just said, ‘well, I want a million pounds (A$1.9 million)’ and they said, ‘you can have half a million’, and I said, ‘no, I don’t want to do it’, so it just stopped. Really it’s a story about my own greed rather than anything else.

Although Margolyes turned down the role, the show still did well. It was recently renamed again, and we anticipate ‘Agatha’ to premiere sometime in late 2024, just in time for Halloween. Have something to share? Drop a comment below!