Actor Miriam Margolyes has shared her thoughts on people who use non-binary pronouns during an appearance on the Graham Norton Show.
Appearing alongside actors Greta Lee and Sarah Snook, and pop legend Boy George, Margolyes shares that as a lover of the English language she was initially opposed to using they or them when addressing people.
“I was very keen on grammar, and so when people started talking about pronouns and that they wanted ‘them’ and not ‘he’, ‘she’, I thought what ‘what the heck are they talking about?'”
“It’s clear, it’s grammar, it’s the structure of language.” Margolyes said.
The actor said she changed her opinion though after she had a conversation with Australian actor Zoe Terakes who starred in the television series Wentworth.
Margolyes shared that Terakes had asked her “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?”
“It doesn’t matter about grammar.” Margolyes told the audience to a round of applause, whoops and cheers. “If you can make somebody happy by giving them as a sense of themselves, then do it!”
The actor shared the story after Boy George suggested people’s opinions become more set as they get older.
Margolyes was on the show promoting her new autobiography Oh Miriam.
The acting legend’s next appearance is in the 60th anniversary celebrations of long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who.
Margolyes will provide the voice of Beep the Meep, a character that first appeared in the show’s comic book offshoot back in the 1980’s but has never previously been seen on screen.
The 82-year-old actor said she’d always wanted to appear on the show.
“I’m relieved I got to work on Doctor Who before I died. With sci-fi you never know. Thank you for making an old woman very happy.” she said when her casting was announced.
The character will make its debut in the first of three 60th anniversary specials for the show due to air before the end of the year.
Margolyes has taken on many different roles during her long career including appearing as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter movies. She’s also appeared in Little Shop of Horrors, Yentl, Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries, Call the Midwife, Romeo + Juliet.
The actor is no stranger to voicing character having previous lent her voice to characters in Happy Feet, James and the Giant Peach, and Mulan.
OIP Staff
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