When TV director Simon Draper determined to provide a podcast with Miriam Margolyes, he kicked into movement a collection of encounters that ended up altering his life in an surprising way.
In 2024, Draper, whose credit embrace Rob & Rylan’s Grand Tour, had no work on the horizon and thought a challenge with one of his former collaborators – the 84-year-old nationwide treasure, former Harry Potter star and outrageous anecdote-teller Margolyes – could be a very good artistic use of his time. (He beforehand labored with the comic and actor for 2016 documentary The Real Marigold on Tour, in which she visited a retirement residence in Florida – and swiftly got booted out for getting in a row with a resident about Trump.)
Margolyes accepted Draper’s supply, and welcomed him and his digicam into her residence so he may monitor the podcast’s journey to fruition. A brand new one-off documentary movie, titled Miriam Margolyes Made Me Me, tracks his tireless efforts to create the audio collection, pitched as her “final act”, solely to be met with growing obstacles because of her free-wheeling way of life.
After finishing simply one episode of the podcast, Margolyes dropped a bombshell – she was going to Australia to embark on a prolonged tour. Realising his documentary would endure as a consequence, Draper offered his guitar assortment to journey internationally to be with Margolyes.
Upon his arrival, issues aren’t as plain-sailing as he’d hoped – reasonably than attending to work on the podcast, Margolyes retains kicking the can down the highway, with Draper primarily changing into her errand boy. If he isn’t sitting round ready for her to summon him, he’s performing small duties for Margolyes, like serving to her along with her sneakers or fetching her a espresso. (Her order? A decaf almond milk cappuccino, additional scorching.) “She has the amazing power to draw the people-pleaser out of everyone, including me,” an obliging Draper says at one level as he hangs up her underwear on her resort room balcony.
But he’s additionally there at a pivotal second in Margolyes’ life, as her surge in reputation led to her performing sell-out reveals at iconic venues like Sydney Opera House, and responding to droves of Cameo requests, from which she reveals she’s made greater than £320,000 up to now.
It quickly turns into clear that their companionship is extra essential than any podcast may very well be. One transferring scene reveals Draper accompanying a fearful Margolyes to a hospital appointment the place she’s as a consequence of have a spinal injection. “I’m not chipper this morning, but I will be,” the unusually restrained star tells Draper. She’s clearly blissful he’s along with her, even when she’s not fully certain why.
Draper is disarmed by his expertise with Margolyes in Australia, changing into impressed by “her honesty and bluntness and way of expressing affection”, which “seems to make people feel alive” – and he returns residence one guitar assortment down however enriched by an expertise that types the premise of the documentary.
Speaking concerning the movie, Draper stated: “I thought getting Miriam Margolyes to make a podcast would be easy, after all, everyone’s doing them, but Miriam’s lifestyle is bonkers.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
“In two years, we made just five episodes, but hanging out with her was life-changing. Mim’s a woman with strong opinions and a weak bladder, and I feel lucky to have been able to capture all the chaos and sparkle of the bravest, most honest person I know.”
Miriam Margolyes Made Me Me airs on BBC Two at 9pm on Monday (13 April).
