Miriam Margolyes

I don't like 'comedy,' I like 'life,' which has everything in it.

I have to keep working because, although I have land, I'm not cash rich and don't have the wealth of high-profile actresses - don't say I'm an 'actor.' That's a bit too modern.

I've burnt my boats, and there they are - smouldering in public view.

Communication is something we all take for granted.

Mummy was absolutely the rock in my life. It was not that I didn't love my father; he was such a quiet man, and she was not. She was the most vivid person I have ever known. She was accomplished and brave and fearless. She used to say to me, 'I want you to be able to talk to anyone about anything.'

I don't think people realise how important it is to have your blood pressure checked. Stroke is so sudden, so catastrophic.

As long as I am working, I am grateful and happy.

I should have got thin, but I eat too much. I hate the word 'moderation.'

I refused to be filmed getting off a bus twice. The director said, 'I'm an award-winning director. Please do it', and I said, 'I never thought I'd say this, but I'm an award-winning actress with a bad leg, and if your film depends on seeing me get in and out of a bus, we're in trouble.'

That's one reason India is an attractive proposition for retiring. Servants are much more reasonable than in England. It's not exploitation so long as you pay a proper salary.

My partner of 45 years is Australian, and a big part of her character is that marvellous quality of irony which Aussies possess. I relish their humour and sense of fairness.

From my earliest days, reading was my passion, and at Cambridge, where I studied English literature, my intellectual life deepened and grew.

Home is wherever I hang my hat.

I wish I had a million in the bank. I like round figures. I am a round figure.

I think Britain is a bit class-ridden. People tend to be judged by how rounded their vowels are.

I've never been someone who is cast for having a lovely figure but for whatever qualities I could possibly bring to a role, so I'm still castable.

I really have fallen in love with myself.

I want to explore the range of emotions it is possible to feel.

In terms of my development as an artist, playing Professor Sprout wasn't all that important because she is well within my capabilities as an actress. But in terms of marketability, it made an enormous difference.

I am stopped in the street by kids and Harry Potter fans all the time.

Israel is stupid for allowing people to vent their anti-Semitism.

It's really hard being old - it's horrible.

I enjoy finding the right word and giving each its full measure, its full space in a sentence.

I do say things possibly other people don't say. So I shouldn't be too surprised when they are picked up.

People seem comfortable with me. And maybe that's got a lot to do with shows like Graham Norton. You just tell it like it is on those programs.

I've always felt that Donald Trump was a Dickensian character because he is so ridiculous. With his hair and his arrogance, he is certainly Dickensian in his absurdity.

I don't care what I look like. I must be comfortable. Some of my friends have plastic surgery and Botox, but I'm not interested in it.

One of the worst things about ageing is the waning of your physical powers. I live in a house with 64 stairs, and I cannot run up and down them any more; my knee has conked out.

It would be absurd to say I'm not British - you can hear it when I speak.

I am not the sort of person who divests myself of everything that came before I came to Australia. I want to take all the knowledge and experiences I gained when I was in England and put it at the service of Australia because I have to bring something to Australia - not just money but myself.

Being in Australia makes me happy. My partner is Australian, and my home is in Australia, and it's ridiculous not to be Australian - it's a logical step to take.

I'm not sure I approve of theatre as a university course. I think theatre's something you do. I mean, literature is a subject; theatre is practical.

I studied English literature in university, and then I went straight into radio.

The American actor is much more used to being physically relaxed and using their bodies better, and English actors are a little bit unrelaxed, but they're better at vocal technique.

Where I think the American actor is slightly at a disadvantage is in vocal technique. I don't think that words are their friend in the same way that English actors are used to using words: understanding about consonance and how to shade a vowel to show emotional color.

What most infuriates me is the cell phones. If I see someone texting during the show, I walk off the stage.

With television, attention spans have been shortened. It's something we have to fight against: the dumbing down of the audience. To be part of an audience is a privilege. To be with the people on stage, to let them reach you. If you're doing a million other things, they won't reach you.

I want people to be open to the idea of sitting down and reading a Dickens book. They will also have a great time.

As I get older, people do come up to me just to give me a hug.

It's so important that people know there was a time before the NHS. It makes them appreciate it more.

Anti-Semitism is a rotten thing. It's an ignorant, stupid, horrible thing. As is anti-Muslim feeling. They have to be together.

I support children's charities; I just don't want them around me. It's not very admirable, but it's the truth.

I very much regret that I haven't been taken more seriously. I would love to have been at the National or the RSC.

I can't recall a bad review - maybe I'm due one. But the worst thing would be if somebody said I was inaudible. Reach your audience's ears - only then can you reach their hearts.

I've been very lucky - I've worked consistently, and I haven't had to kiss a lot of people on stage.

I was waiting for a train at Waverley Station in Edinburgh. My knee was hurting, so I asked a young man for his seat. He replied, 'There's one over there'. I said, 'Please', and when he refused I poured my water over him.

I was terribly upset not to be in 'Dickensian,' so I pretend to look down on it. The part I should have played, Mrs. Gamp, is done brilliantly by Pauline Collins, but I entered this world for no other reason than to play that part.

It makes me very sad. Everyone's afraid of each other - Jews are afraid of Palestinians, Palestinians are afraid of Jews. Everywhere I see fear, not understanding. Reason went out of the window a long time ago.

I believe Jews are compassionate people because of what we've suffered. We must not put that suffering onto others.

I cannot accept violence.