Maggie Smith
Born
December 28, 1934
Died
September 27, 2024 (89 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Ilford, Essex, England, UK
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith CH DBE was a British actress. Known for her wit in comedic roles, she had an extensive career on stage and screen over seven decades and was one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses. She received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award as well as nominations for six Laurence Olivier Awards. Smith was one of the few performers to earn the Triple Crown of Acting.
Smith began her stage career as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional debut on Broadway in New Faces of '56. Over the following decades Smith established herself alongside Judi Dench as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. On Broadway, she received Tony Award nominations for Noël Coward's Private Lives (1975) and Tom Stoppard's Night and Day (1979), and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage (1990).
She won Academy Awards for Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978). She was Oscar-nominated for Othello (1965), Travels with My Aunt (1972), A Room with a View (1985) and Gosford Park (2001). She portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). She also acted in Death on the Nile (1978), Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), Quartet (2012) and The Lady in the Van (2015).
Smith received newfound attention and international fame for her role as Violet Crawley in the British period drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015). The role earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards; she had previously won one for the HBO film My House in Umbria (2003). Over the course of her career she was the recipient of numerous honorary awards including the British Film Institute Fellowship in 1993, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1996 and the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2010. Smith was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990.
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Known For
The Miracle Club
Lily Fox
2023
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
Self (archive footage)
2023
A German Life
Brunhilde Pomsel
2022
The Marvellous Maggie Smith: A Celebration
Self
2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Violet Crawley
2022
A Boy Called Christmas
Aunt Ruth
2021
Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event
Self
2019
Downton Abbey
Violet Crawley
2019
Nothing Like a Dame
Self
2018
Sherlock Gnomes
Lady Bluebury (voice)
2018
Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches
Self
2017
Woolf Works
Reading (voice)
2017
Robin And Mark And Richard III
Self
2016
Dames of Classic Drama at the BBC
Self (archive material)
2015
The Lady in the Van
Miss Shepherd
2015
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Muriel Donnelly
2015
My Old Lady
Mathilde Girard
2014
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
Mrs. Sullen
2013
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2013
Quartet
Jean Horton
2012
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Muriel Donnelly
2012
Honest Trailers
Minerva McGonagall (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2012
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Minerva McGonagall
2011
Gnomeo & Juliet
Lady Bluebury (voice)
2011
Downton Abbey
Violet Crawley · (47 episodes)
2010
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
Agatha Rose Doherty
2010
Creating the World of Harry Potter
Self - 'Professor Minerva McGonagall' · (8 episodes)
2009
From Time to Time
Linnet
2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Minerva McGonagall
2009
Maggie Smith at the BBC: a portrait
Self (archival footage)
2008
Capturing Mary
Mary Gilbert
2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Minerva McGonagall
2007
Becoming Jane
Lady Gresham
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe
Self · (1 episode)
2006
The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays
Lettice Douffet (segment "Lettice and Lovage")
2006
Keeping Mum
Grace Hawkins
2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Minerva McGonagall
2005
Ladies in Lavender
Janet
2004
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
Self
2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Minerva McGonagall
2004
My House in Umbria
Mrs. Emily Delahunty
2003
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Minerva McGonagall
2002
The Making of 'Gosford Park'
Self (uncredited)
2002
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Caro Bennett
2002
Gosford Park
Constance Trentham
2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Minerva McGonagall
2001
The Last September
Lady Myra Naylor
2000
David Copperfield
Betsey Trotwood · (2 episodes)
1999
All the King's Men
Queen Alexandra
1999
Tea with Mussolini
Lady Hester Random
1999
Curtain Call
Lily Marlowe
1998
Washington Square
Aunt Lavinia Penniman
1997
The First Wives Club
Gunilla Garson Goldberg
1996
Richard III
Duchess of York
1995
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Mother Superior
1993
The Secret Garden
Mrs. Medlock
1993
Suddenly, Last Summer
Violet Venable
1993
Sister Act
Mother Superior
1992
Memento Mori
Mrs Mabel Pettigrew
1992
Hook
Granny Wendy
1991
Romeo.Juliet
Rosaline (voice)
1990
Talking Heads
1988
Talking Heads
Susan · (1 episode)
1988
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Judith Hearne
1987
A Room with a View
Charlotte Bartlett
1986
Screen Two
Mrs. Mabel Pettigrew · (1 episode)
1985
A Private Function
Joyce Chilvers
1984
Lily in Love
Lily Wynn
1984
Mrs. Silly
Mrs Silly
1983
Better Late Than Never
Miss Anderson
1983
The Missionary
Lady Isabel Ames
1982
Evil Under the Sun
Daphne Castle
1982
The Making of Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun'
Self / Daphne Castle
1982
Quartet
Lois Heidler
1981
Entertainment Tonight
Self · (1 episode)
1981
Clash of the Titans
Thetis
1981
California Suite
Diana Barrie
1978
Death on the Nile
Miss Bowers
1978
Murder by Death
Dora Charleston
1976
Dinah!
Self · (1 episode)
1974
Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing
Lila Fisher
1973
Travels with My Aunt
Augusta Bertram
1972
The Millionairess
Epifania
1972
The Merchant of Venice
Portia
1972
Great Performances
Violet Venable · (1 episode)
1971
Oh! What a Lovely War
Music Hall Star
1969
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Jean Brodie
1969
Hot Millions
Patty Terwilliger Smith
1968
The Carol Burnett Show
Self · (3 episodes)
1967
The Honey Pot
Sarah Watkins
1967
Much Ado About Nothing
Beatrice
1967
Othello
Desdemona
1965
BBC Play of the Month
Epifania · (1 episode)
1965
Young Cassidy
Nora
1965
Olivier Talks About Othello
(archive footage)
1965
The Pumpkin Eater
Philpot
1964
The V.I.P.s
Miss Mead
1963
Go to Blazes
Chantal
1962
Nowhere to Go
Bridget Howard
1958
Child in the House
Party Guest (uncredited)
1956
Armchair Theatre
Anna Carnot · (1 episode)
1956
Armchair Theatre
Juliet Denise · (1 episode)
1956
Armchair Theatre
The Girl · (1 episode)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
1956
Tony Awards
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Performer/Winner · (1 episode)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Nominee · (1 episode)
1956
Lilli Palmer Theatre
Paula Benson · (1 episode)
1955
The Oscars
Self · (2 episodes)
1953
Sunday Night Theatre
(1 episode)
1950
Kraft Television Theatre
(1 episode)
1947
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee · (1 episode)
1944