'I Love Saying Things To Shock People It's Such Fun!'

In an age when celebrities tend to be careful about what they say, famously outspoken actress Miriam Margolyes can be something of a surprise

Screen legend Miriam Margolyes is known for her witty asides and honest views on life. When we call her for a chat, she’s warm, wry and on form. ‘I occasionally say something in order to shock because it’s such fun!’ She reveals. ‘But mostly I say things because I believe in what I say and I want to say it.’

Miriam, 76, is starring in The Man who Invented Christmas, a film about how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. After reading English at Newnham College, Cambridge, this is a dream for ‘proud bookworm’ Miriam.

‘It’s very good to read,’ Miriam says. ‘It’s the sign of education and sophistication and I’m very sorry for people who don’t read. When I go into a house and there are no books, I’m afraid I make judgments.’

Though she’s starring in a film about A Christmas Carol, Miriam reveals that she’s stuck on deciding her favourite Dickens novel. ‘It’s between Little Dorrit, Bleak House and Great Expectations. Every time I come back to Dickens, I always think that he’s better than anybody else. I hope this film will make people want to read his books – if you read Dickens you feel alive. It makes you feel everything.’