Maggie Smith

Dame Margaret Natalie Smith CH DBE (28 December 1934 – 27 September 2024) was a British actress. She made her stage debut in 1952 and her career lasted for over 70 years. She won many awards for acting, both for the stage and for movies, including seven BAFTA Awards (five competitive awards and two special awards including the Bafta Fellowship in 1996), two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, two Emmy Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, two SAG Awards and a Tony Award.

Dame Maggie Smith CH DBE
Smith in 1973
Born	Margaret Natalie Smith (1934-12-28)28 December 1934 Ilford, Essex, England, UK
Died	27 September 2024(2024-09-27) (aged 89) London, England, UK
Nationality	British
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1952–2024
Spouses	Robert Stephens ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1974)​ Beverley Cross ​ ​ (m. 1975; died 1998)​
Children	Chris Larkin Toby Stephens

Film Awards
Academy Awards
1969	Best Actress
1978	Best Supporting Actress
British Academy Film Awards
1969, 1984, 1986, 1988	Best Actress
1999	Best Supporting Actress
1996	Fellowship
Golden Globe Awards
1978	Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1986	Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
Screen Actors Guild Awards
2001	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Career

Her award winning movies include Othello (1965), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), Travels with My Aunt (1972), California Suite (1978), Clash of the Titans (1981), A Room with a View (1985) and Gosford Park (2001).

She has also been in a number of widely-popular movies, including Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992) and as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movie series. Smith said that acting in the Harry Potter movies was not fully satisfying.^[1] However, she said she enjoyed being a part of the franchise because it allowed her to bond with her grandchildren.^[2] Smith underwent intensive chemotherapy for breast cancer while filming Half-Blood Prince. The treatment left her feeling "horribly sick", but she eventually made a full recovery.^[3]

She had a role in the drama Downton Abbey as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, for which she has won an Emmy.

Personal life

Smith was born in Ilford, Essex. She moved to Oxford at age four and went to Oxford High School.

Smith has been married twice. She married actor Robert Stephens on 29 June 1967 at Greenwich. The couple had two sons: actors Chris Larkin (born in 1967) and Toby Stephens (born in 1969).^[4] They divorced on 6 May 1974.^[4][5]

She married playwright Beverley Cross on 23 August 1975 at Guildford. He died on 20 March 1998.

In 2007, The Sunday Telegraph reported that she had breast cancer. She has made a full recovery.^[6]

Smith died on 27 September 2024 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, at the age of 89.^[7]

Filmography

Television and cinema

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	Dr. Dolittle	Brenda Dolittle
1958	Nowhere to Go	Bridget Howard	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer
1962	Go to Blazes	Chantal
1963	The V.I.P.s	Miss Mead	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress
1964	The Pumpkin Eater	Philpot
1965	Othello	Desdemona	Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
	Young Cassidy	Nora	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1967	The Honey Pot	Sarah Watkins
1968	Hot Millions	Patty Terwilliger Smith
1969	The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie	Jean Brodie	Academy Award for Best Actress BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
1969	Oh! What a Lovely War	Music Hall Star
1972	Travels with My Aunt	Aunt Augusta	Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1973	Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing	Lila Fisher
1974	The Carol Burnett Show	Gwendylspire Boughgrough
1975	The Carol Burnett Show	Ms. Collins
1976	Murder by Death	Dora Charleston
1978	Death on the Nile	Miss Bowers	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
	California Suite	Diana Barrie	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1981	Quartet	Lois Heidler	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
	Clash of the Titans	Thetis	Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1982	Evil Under the Sun	Daphne Castle
	The Missionary	Lady Isabel Ames
	Better Late Than Never	Miss Anderson
1984	A Private Function	Joyce Chilvers	BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
	Lily in Love	Lily Wynn	Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actress
1985	A Room with a View	Charlotte Bartlett	BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1987	The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne	Judith Hearne	BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
	Talking Heads	Susan	Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actress
1991	Hook	Wendy Darling
1992	Sister Act	Reverend Mother
	Memento Mori	Mrs. Mabel Pettigrew	Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actress
1993	Suddenly, Last Summer	Violet Venable	Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
	Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit	Reverend Mother
	The Secret Garden	Mrs. Medlock	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1995	Richard III	Duchess of York
1996	The First Wives Club	Gunilla Garson Goldberg	National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
1997	Washington Square	Aunt Lavinia Penniman	Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress
1999	Curtain Call	Lily Gale
	The Last September	Lady Myra Naylor
	Tea with Mussolini	Lady Hester Random	BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
	All the King's Men	Queen Alexandra
	David Copperfield	Betsey Trotwood	Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actress Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
2001	Gosford Park	Constance, Countess of Trentham	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — European Film Award for Best Actress Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone	Professor Minerva McGonagall	Released in the US and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
2002	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	Professor Minerva McGonagall	Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
	Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood	Caro Eliza Bennett
2003	My House in Umbria	Emily Delahunty	Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
2004	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	Professor Minerva McGonagall
	Ladies in Lavender	Janet Widdington	Nominated — European Film Award for Best Actress
2005	Keeping Mum	Grace Hawkins
	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Professor Minerva McGonagall
2007	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	Professor Minerva McGonagall
	Becoming Jane	Lady Gresham
	Capturing Mary	Mary Gilbert	Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
2009	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	Professor Minerva McGonagall
	From Time to Time	Linnet Oldknow
2010	Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang	Mrs. Docherty
2010–2022	Downton Abbey	Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham	Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie TV Times Award for Best Actress Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actress Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Monte Carlo Television Festival Award for Outstanding Actress Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2011	Gnomeo & Juliet	Lady Bluebury
	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2	Professor Minerva McGonagall
2012	The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel	Muriel Donnelly
	Quartet	Jean Horton	post-production

Theatre roles

• Twelfth Night, Oxford Playhouse, 1952
• He Who Gets Slapped, Clarendon Press Institute, 1952
• Cinderella, Oxford Playhouse, 1952
• Rookery Nook, Oxford Playhouse, 1953
• The Housemaster, Oxford Playhouse, 1953
• Cakes and Ale (revue), Edinburgh Festival, 1953
• The Love of Four Colonels, Oxford Playhouse, 1953
• The Ortolan, Maxton Hall, 1954
• Don’t Listen Ladies, Oxford Playhouse, 1954
• The Government Inspector, Oxford Playhouse, 1954
• The Letter, Oxford Playhouse, 1954
• A Man About The House, Oxford Playhouse, 1954
• On the Mile (revue), Edinburgh Festival, 1954
• Oxford Accents, New Watergate Theatre, London, 1954
• Theatre 1900, Oxford Playhouse, 1954
• Listen to the Wind, Oxford Playhouse, 1954
• The Magistrate, Oxford Playhouse, 1955
• The School For Scandal, Oxford Playhouse, 1955
• New Faces (revue), Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, 1956
• Share My Lettuce (revue), Lyric Hammersmith and Comedy Theatre, 1957
• The Stepmother, St. Martin's Theatre, 1958
• The Double Dealer, Old Vic, 1959
• As You Like It, Old Vic, 1959
• Richard II, Old Vic, 1959
• The Merry Wives of Windsor, Old Vic, 1959
• What Every Woman Knows, Old Vic, 1960
• Rhinoceros, Strand Theatre, 1960
• Strip the Willow, UK Tour, 1960
• The Rehearsal, Bristol Old Vic and Globe Theatre, 1961
• The Private Ear and The Public Eye, Globe Theatre, 1962
• Mary, Mary, Queen's Theatre, 1963
• The Recruiting Officer, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1963
• Othello, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1964
• The Master Builder, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1964
• Hay Fever, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1964
• Much Ado About Nothing, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1965
• Trelawney of the Wells, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1965
• Miss Julie, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1966
• Black Comedy, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1966
• A Bond Honoured, National Theatre/Old Vic, 1966
• The Country Wife, Chichester Festival Theatre, 1969
• The Beaux Stratagem, National Theatre/Old Vic and Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 1970
• Hedda Gabler, National Theatre/Cambridge Theatre, 1970
• Design For Living, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 1971
• Private Lives, Queen's Theatre, 1972
• Peter Pan, London Coliseum, 1973
• Snap, Vaudeville Theatre, 1974
• Private Lives, US tour and 46th Street Theatre, New York, 1975 [Tony nomination]
• The Way of the World, Stratford, Canada, 1976
• Antony and Cleopatra, Stratford, Canada, 1976
• Three Sisters, Stratford, Canada, 1976
• The Guardsman, Stratford, Canada and Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 1976
• A Midsummer Night's Dream, Stratford, Canada and Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 1977
• Richard III, Stratford, Canada, 1977
• As You Like It, Stratford, Canada, 1977
• Hay Fever, Stratford, Canada, 1977
• Macbeth, Stratford, Canada, 1978
• Private Lives, Stratford, Canada, 1978
• Night and Day, Phoenix Theatre, Washington D.C. and ANTA Playhouse, New York, 1979 [Tony nomination]
• Much Ado About Nothing, Stratford, Canada, 1980
• The Seagull, Stratford, Canada, 1980
• Virginia, Stratford, Canada, 1980 and Theatre Royal Haymarket, 1981
• The Way of the World, Chichester Festival Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket, 1984
• The Interpreters, Queen's Theatre, 1985
• The Infernal Machine, Lyric Hammersmith, 1986
• Coming Into Land, National Theatre/Lyttelton, 1987
• Lettice and Lovage, Globe Theatre, 1987
• Lettice and Lovage, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, 1990 [Tony win]
• The Importance of Being Earnest, Aldwych Theatre, 1993
• Three Tall Women, Wyndham's Theatre, 1994 and 1995
• Talking Heads, Chichester Festival Theatre and Comedy Theatre, 1996
• A Delicate Balance, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 1997
• The Lady in the Van, Queen's Theatre, 1999
• The Breath of Life, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2002
• Talking Heads, Australian tour, 2004
• The Lady From Dubuque, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2007

References

1. Oliver, Mark (5 November 2001). "Rowling: 'It is as I imagined it inside my head'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
2. Peppin, Hayley (6 December 2019). "Professor McGonagall actress Maggie Smith said working on 'Harry Potter' 'didn't feel like acting' and 'wasn't satisfying'". Insider. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
3. "Maggie Smith Discusses Cancer Treatment Struggle". The Telegraph. 5 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
4. Maggie Smith biography Archived 2012-12-09 at Archive.today. Tiscali.film & TV.
5. Maggie Smith. Film Reference.com.
6. "Actress Maggie Smith recounts cancer battle". Google.com. 2009-10-05. Archived from the original on 2010-04-19. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
7. "Actress Dame Maggie Smith dies at 89". BBC News. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

Other websites

• Maggie Smith on IMDb