Miriam Margolyes has revealed that she makes a lot of money with the personalized video service Cameo.
The Harry Potter The 83-year-old actress said she charges £100 to send a video message to one of her fans and is inundated with requests.
In her speech at the Hay Festival, she revealed the identity of the Graham Norton Show Margolyes admitted that she was once even given the task of proposing to a fan via video recording in exchange for money, even though she did not like meeting guests.
“There’s a website called Cameo, and people pay you to wish the people they love happy birthday,” she explained.
“Sometimes I’m asked to cheer up someone who has terminal cancer. It’s not easy. Sometimes I’m asked to propose marriage to someone on behalf of the person who pays me.”
Margoyles continued: “I enjoy it. I do as many as I can. And I charge £100 and I’ve made a tremendous amount of money doing it.”
“I’m not ashamed of it. I think it’s completely fair.”
The actress, who claims to be a socialite, added: “Don’t think I don’t like money – I love money. I love it and I want to get as much of it as I can.”
When asked if she needed to continue her lucrative cameo career, Margolyes said, “Of course. I want it all.”
Margoyles had previously recently told Harry Potter fans to “grow up” and “get over” the film series.
The actress, who played Professor Pomona Sprout, said she was worried about adult fans of the 25-year-old franchise because “they should have gotten over this by now.”
“That was 25 years ago and I think it’s for children,” Margolyes told 1News from New Zealand.
“I do cameos (personalised video messages) and people say they’re doing a Harry Potter-themed wedding and I think, ‘Oh God, what’s their first fun night going to be?’ I can’t even think about it. Harry Potter is wonderful, I’m very grateful for it. It’s over. That’s what I think.”
The Call the midwife The actor later told ABC News Australia that once teenagers get through puberty, it’s “time to forget everything and move on to other things.”
“If you’ve lost your nerve, it’s time to forget the whole thing and move on to other things,” she said.
“I just think it’s for kids. And then it’s time to move on.”
She stressed that she was proud to have been part of a “great show” and a “wonderful film series”, but fans need to let go and “grow up”.
