'There Are Lots Of Things I Want To Do'

Miriam Margolyes, 77, on why she wants to talk to her enemies, the support of her mother and her very particular knickers from Amsterdam…

- Paul Simper

What is your earliest childhood memory?

I was sitting in my pram outside our house. A lady came up to me and said, “Now if you suck your thumb like that the big bad man is going to come and cut it off.” I remember thinking, “What a stupid woman. Does she think I believe that? The idiot.” I just knew that she was talking through her bottom.

Where does your acting talent come from?

All of my talents, whatever I have, come from my mother. Mummy really wanted to be an actress herself but of course nice Jewish girls didn’t do that then. But she never lost the ability to be dramatic in every way. My mother did everything possible to give me confidence and make me feel special and talented.

What is the best thing about your job?

The best thing about being an actress is being with people during rehearsals. I simply love the camaraderie, the jokes and the talks. We had larks on Call the Midwife. I was the newbie but everyone was so welcoming. It’s the people that you work with that make it special. People call us “luvvies” in the most derogatory way. They shouldn’t. Luvvie means people who love. We love each other and we love our work.

What are your pet hates?