By Alice Dear

Who is Miriam Margolyes' partner Heather Sutherland, when did they meet and when did the actress come out as gay?

Miriam Margolyes, 82, has recently opened up about her 54-year relationship with partner Heather Sutherland.

In an interview with British Vogue, the actress and author revealed that while she and Heather have been together for over five decades, the pair have never lived together.

Miriam and Heather, in fact, live in different cities entirely and are "able to lead their lives without diminishing them".

Here's everything you need to know about Miriam's partner, her acting career and her journey coming out as a lesbian.

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Who is Miriam Margolyes and how old is she?

Miriam Margolyes, 82, is a British-Australian actress best known for her role in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence and for playing Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films.

Who is Miriam Margolyes' partner Heather Sutherland?

Miriam Margolyes has been in a relationship with academic Heather Sutherland for 54 years.

While the actress lives in South London, Heather lives in Amsterdam. The pair have never lived together throughout their relationship.

Miriam and Heather are in a civil partnership, however, the actress has said that it is mostly for legal protection.

“We were able to lead our lives without diminishing them", she told British Vogue recently: "I didn’t want her to have to give up anything. And I didn’t want to give up anything. I wanted my cake and I wanted to eat it too. And so far, it’s worked.”

When did Miriam Margolyes come out as gay?

Miriam Margolyes has revealed she first realised she was a lesbian when she attended Cambridge University to study English.

She came out in 1966, when homosexuality was illegal in the UK, and while she says she has "never had shame" about being gay, her parents struggled to understand.

Months after coming out, Miriam's mother had a stroke. She looked after her mother until her death a few years later. Miriam's father passed away in 1995, aged 96-years-old.

While the actress doesn’t believe her parents ever accepted her sexuality, it never stopped her loving them.

Miriam Margolyes' health

In the interview with Vogue, Miriam revealed that she will soon be undergoing heart surgery to have stent fitted.

A stent is a tiny but vital device that holds arteries open in an area where they are narrowing. Miriam has assured people she is not scared of the procedure, explaining: “I’m not terrified!"

She said: “When you’re young, you never think about death... I think about death a lot.”

“You can’t help but be aware that the amount of time ahead is less than the time before you", Miriam added: “I’m still ducking and diving. I’m still open to new experiences. I’m just very conscious that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.”

What movies and TV shows has Miriam Margolyes been in?

Some of the most notable films Miriam has starred in include Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo + Juliet (1996), Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence (1993) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).

In 1995, Miriam voiced Fly in the classic family film Babe and in 1996 starred as Aunt Sponge alongside Joanna Lumley as Aunt Spiker in James and the Giant Peach.

Miriam recently spoke about her time starring in the Harry Potter film series. She said: "For me Harry Potter wasn’t important. I was very glad I got the part and I enjoyed being in it and meeting all the people, but it’s not Charles Dickens.”

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