Miriam Margolyes the 84-year-old British actress known for titles like The Age of Innocence and her role as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films says she's proud to identify as a "left-wing dyke." During an appearance earlier this week on Ireland's The Late Late Show, host Patrick Kielty asked the acclaimed performer about her outspoken politics and her willingness to publicly comment on hot-button issues, like the situation in Gaza. Referring to Gaza specifically, she said that she feels it's important for her to speak on the issue because she is Jewish, adding, "It's very important that people realize that all Jewish people are not killers, they're not bastards. It's not like that. This is just a section of the Israeli people that are like that, not Jewish people. And I want that to be known and understood."Breaking with many celebrities of her notoriety, Margolyes then addressed the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas, calling it "terrible" before touching on the "70 years of oppression" that preceded it."I saw it myself. I was there in Israel, and I saw it. I saw how they treated Palestinians, and it's wrong," she said. "And I don't want us to be changed by Hitler, by the Holocaust, into nasty people. I won't have it. I won't be changed. My heart is open to anyone who needs help, succor, caring."She went on to say that she has lost a lot of family and friends over her views around the conflict, acknowledging that "it hurts when people that you're fond of don't want to talk to you anymore because they feel that you're a traitor." But, she affirmed, she's sticking by her beliefs, agreeing with Kielty's description of her as "unapologetically woke.""I am," Margolyes smiled. "I'm a left-wing dyke, and I love it! I love being a lesbian, I'm not going to apologize for that. It's great fun!"Margolyes has long been open about where she stands politically, often refusing to shy away from addressing controversial topics. In the past, she's spoken out against J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, and the conservative viewpoints she espouses. In an interview with The Telegraph in 2024, Margolyes stated that it's "unrealistic" for actors who starred in the Potter films to remain silent about Rowling, simply because her writing provided them with a job."Now they're grown up and they have opinions," she said of actors like Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, who have also spoken about Rowling's right-wing political views. "So why can't they give their opinions? That's fair to me. They shouldn't be trammelled because they once were in a film that somebody wrote."Watch the interview below. - YouTube youtu.be