Miriam Margolyes is well-known for giving her unfiltered opinions, and this time she’s shared her thoughts on grown-up Harry Potter fans.
Margolyes starred in the well-loved film franchise as Professor Pomona Sprout, and made her Harry Potter debut in The Chamber of Secrets before reprising her role for Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
While the first film was released in 2001, there are still some die-hard fans now; many of whom are all grown-up.
In fact, research has shown that the average age bracket for avid Harry Potter fans are millennials (those currently aged between 28 and 43 years old), according to Morning Consult Pro.
With this in mind, Margolyes has admitted that she’s worried about these fans.
“I worry about Harry Potter fans because they should be over that by now,” she said in a recent interview with New Zealand broadcaster, 1News.
“It was 25 years ago and it’s for children – I think it’s for children.”
Continuing to share her confusion about adults being so into the wizarding world, Margolyes said: “They get stuck in it. I do Cameos, and people say, ‘We’re having a Harry Potter-themed wedding, and I think, ‘Gosh, what’s their first night of fun going to be?’ I can’t even think about it. No.”
A snippet of the actor’s interview has since been posted on Reddit, and her thoughts have left people divided.
“Fully disagree with this take because the things that impact your childhood tend to be carried with you through life,” one person wrote.
“However, Miriam is a hilarious sh*t stirrer and I have nothing but the greatest respect for her just being weird.”
“It’s so intrinsically woven through the fabric of childhood for so many people,” someone else argued. “The books spanned from 1997 to 2007 and the films from 2001 to 2011.
“They grew up on the material and things as dominant and constant as Harry Potter has been have a way of embedding themselves into a person.
“It becomes one of those building blocks that makes them, them.”
A third went on: “Let people enjoy things. It’s not hurting anyone and if you personally don’t enjoy whatever it is, just don’t engage in it.”
But others urged people to take Margolyes’ comments with a pinch of salt as it was ‘just Miriam being Miriam’.
Someone else said: “Can’t help but feel people are taking her opinion over this a bit too seriously lmfao. Miriam doesn’t give a f**k about much at all, let alone this.”
Margolyes has always given her honest opinions and, at the age of 82, I can’t imagine she’s going to stop now.