Oh Sister Mildred! Midwife star Miriam turns air blue
SHE may have a wimple on her head and a cross around her neck, but Miriam Margolyes turned the air as blue as her nun’s habit while filming the Call The Midwife Christmas special.
Even the crew were shocked by the 77-year-old’s swearing, which came as the cast filmed the festive scenes during a heatwave in May.
Luckily, they all found her “eccentric” outbursts hilarious and are thrilled that she’s joined the hit BBC drama as Sister Mildred.
Jenny Agutter, who plays Sister Julienne in the BBC One hit, said: “Miriam was an absolute laugh and wonderful and very unpredictable.
“You don’t know what’s going to come out next.
Genius
“After one particularly outrageous comment, she turned to me and said, ‘I hope you know I’m known to be a little bit naughty?’ and I said, ‘Yes, I have heard that’.
“She has been announcing that she wants to be on Call the Midwife for a long time – when we were talking about it she said, ‘Yes, but I didn’t think they were going to cast me as a nun!’”
Fenella Woolgar, also arriving at Nonnatus House as sensible Sister Hilda, said that much of what Miriam said was “unreportable for a family audience”.
But Dr Turner actor Stephen McGann declared: “I think she’s genius. She’s capable of the most beautifully observed and intelligent performances and then she Ella Bruccoleri, Miriam Margolyes and Fenella Woolgar are the new nuns at Nonnatus House
will come out with an expletive at the end of it. She’s very mischievous and a brilliant addition.”
Judy Parfitt, who plays Sister Monica Joan, laughed that Miriam was in denial about her behaviour, explaining: “She said something one day and I said, ‘You’re deeply
eccentric’ and she said ‘Me?’” In the Christmas special, Sister Mildred arrives at Nonnatus with four Chinese orphans who are being adopted by British couples.
Helen George’s character Trixie is also back, following her stint in Italy, where she was battling alcoholism. In
real life George returns to the show after maternity leave, following the birth of her daughter Wren.
Show writer Heidi Thomas said the new series, which starts in January and is set in 1964, will tackle issues such as back-street abortions and a baby born with a cleft lip.