Margolyes frames this honor with characteristic humility, joking that awards make people 'smug' while graciously accepting the recognition. Her focus remains on collaboration, particularly praising director Lee Knight as the creative force behind her Oscar-nominated work.
Sources close to the production confirm feature expansion discussions are 'active' β not just talk. One insider notes Margolyes has already committed her schedule: 'You bet!' she told producers. The 85-year-old's enthusiasm for working with young filmmakers signals this isn't a vanity project.
Raindance Film Festival runs June 17-26 in London; opening gala is June 17 after the U.K. premiere of Michel Parandi's 'April X.' Margolyes will receive her Icon Award from Lee Knight, whose short film 'A Friend of Dorothy' earned an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film and began its festival run at Raindance almost exactly one year prior.
Margolyes proves that at 85, the best collaborations come without ego. Her reunion with Knight at Raindance isn't just poetic symmetry β it's proof that independent cinema still rewards those willing to take chances on new voices.
British acting legend Miriam Margolyes is set to receive this year's Raindance Icon Award at the London-based Raindance Film Festival, running June 17-26. The veteran performer will accept her honor at the festival's opening gala on June 17, following the U.K. premiere of Michel Parandi's "April X." In a poetic twist, the award will be presented by Lee Knight, director of Margolyes's Oscar-nominated short film "A Friend of Dorothy" β a full circle moment for both filmmaker and star.
The Icon Award recognizes individuals who make an authentic and iconic impression via independent cinema. This year's other recipients include American film director Lloyd Kaufman (co-founder of Troma Entertainment) and rock legend Eddie Cochran, receiving a posthumous honor to be displayed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland alongside his original Gretsch guitar. Margolyes joins an impressive roster of previous winners including Michael Caine, Sally Hawkins, Jude Law, Olivia Colman, Terry Gilliam, Guy Ritchie, and Ken Loach.
Speaking with Variety about receiving the honor, Margolyes expressed playful disbelief: "I didn't quite believe it!" She offered characteristically candid thoughts on awards culture, noting that while "everybody likes awards," she believes "awards are not good for people because they become smug." When asked what being called an 'icon' means to her, the actress quipped that it means "a small religious picture of some suffering saint" before adding with characteristic fire: "I am certainly not that...
I keep expanding. I am really grateful for my life at the moment and really grateful to Raindance, bless them, for picking me out." Margolyes also revealed exciting plans to expand "A Friend of Dorothy" into a feature film. The short, which sees Margolyes portray a widow whose quiet life is upended when a teenage boy accidentally kicks his football into her garden β the two developing a tender bond over their shared loneliness β began its journey at Raindance almost exactly one year ago before earning an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
"It's on the cards," Margolyes confirmed to Variety. "It's not up to me, it's up to Lee and the producers, but I certainly want that to happen. They've asked me if I'm available and I said: you bet!
I think it should be a feature film because this is not a story that needs to be compressed." The collaboration with Knight represents exactly the kind of creative energy Margolyes says she craves at 85. "Meeting young people is essential," she explained. "I'm 85, darling...
The problem when you are old is that you tend to meet only old people. Some of them are gorgeous and some of them are frankly boring as shit." She credited Knight with making the entire experience possible: "He is a brilliant director and wonderful writer. When I heard he would be presenting me with the award, I felt I should be handing it straight back to him because I wouldn't have had that moment without him." Born in Oxford, England in 1941, Margolyes has built one of British cinema's most eclectic careers, starring in major productions including "Yentl," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Magnolia," and the "Harry Potter" franchise as Professor Sprout. She won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in 1993 for Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence" and has published three acclaimed memoirs, with a fourth β "Miriam's Full English" β released earlier this year.
