Dame Margaret Natalie "Maggie" Smith (28 December 1934–27 September 2024) was an English actress, who played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.[1]
In her career, Smith has won two Academy Awards out of her six nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role in 1970 for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1978 for California Suite. Additionally, she has won five BAFTAs, and one Tony Award for her stage work. For TV, she has won two Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in Miniseries or a Movie for My House in Umbria, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in Miniseries or a Movie for Downton Abbey.
Biography[]
Maggie Smith's career began at the Oxford Playhouse in the 1950s. She made her film début in 1956 as one of the party guests in a film called Child in the House. After that she has been acting with the most prominent actors and actresses in the world in over sixty films and TV-series, including The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), California Suite (1978) with Michael Caine and Jane Fonda, A Room with a View (1985), Hook (1991) with Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams and Julia Roberts, Sister Act and Sister Act II: Back In The Habit (1992–1993) with Whoopi Goldberg, Franco Zeffirelli's Tea with Mussolini (1999) with Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Cher, and Gosford Park (2001) with Kristin Scott Thomas and Clive Owen, directed by Robert Altman.
Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall
In 2001, Maggie Smith made her appearance as the formidable Professor McGonagall for the first time in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. 2010 found her as a regular on the drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015) where she plays the Dowager Countess of Grantham. In 2011, she voiced the animated character of "Lady Bluebury" in Gnomeo & Juliet, and reprised the role in its 2018 sequel, Sherlock Gnomes.
Personal life[]
Maggie Smith was born in Ilford, Essex on 28 December 1934 to Margaret and Nathaniel Smith. Her father was pathology laboratory technician at Oxford University, and her mother worked as a secretary. She attended Oxford High School until the age of 16.
Smith has been married twice. First on 29 June 1967 to actor Robert Stephens and had two sons with him, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, both actors. She and Stephens divorced on 6 May 1974. On 23 August 1975, she married playwright Beverly Cross and the marriage ended with his death on 20 March 1998. Smith was, at the time, appearing in the play A Delicate Balance, but she continued until the end of the run.
In 2007, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but struggled through the filming of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince while undergoing the chemo treatments. In 2009, during the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, she developed shingles (a painful skin rash caused by chicken pox), but still continued the film despite the pain.
On the morning of 27 September 2024 (UTC), Maggie Smith passed away peacefully at the age of 89 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, released a statement saying, "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith".
Her passing came exactly a year after Michael Gambon, the second actor to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore.
Selective filmography[]
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Nowhere to Go | BAFTA Film | Most Promising Newcomer to Film | Nominated |
| 1963 | The V.I.P.s | Golden Globe | New Star of the Year – Actress | Nominated |
| 1965 | Othello | Academy | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated |
| Golden Globe | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | ||
| Young Cassidy | BAFTA Film | Best British Actress | Nominated | |
| 1969 | The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie | Academy | Best Actress | Won |
| BAFTA Film | Best Actress | Won | ||
| Golden Globe | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | ||
| 1972 | Travels with My Aunt | Academy | Best Actress | Nominated |
| Golden Globe | Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| 1978 | Death on the Nile | BAFTA Film | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| California Suite | Academy | Best Supporting Actress | Won | |
| Golden Globe | Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical | Won | ||
| 1979 | BAFTA Film | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| Evening Standard British Film |
Best Actress | Won | ||
| 1981 | Quartet | BAFTA Film | Best Actress | Nominated |
| Evening Standard British Film |
Best Actress | Won | ||
| Clash of the Titans | Saturn | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| 1984 | A Private Function | BAFTA Film | Best Actress | Won |
| 1986 | A Room with a View | Academy | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
| BAFTA Film | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Won | ||
| Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Won | ||
| 1988 | The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne | BAFTA Film | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Won |
| Evening Standard British Film |
Best Actress | Won | ||
| 1992 | Sister Act | N/A | ||
| 1993 | The Secret Garden | BAFTA Film | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | N/A | |||
| 1999 | Tea with Mussolini | BAFTA Film | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Won |
| 2001 | Gosford Park | Academy | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
| BAFTA Film | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| Satellite | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical | Won | ||
| Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble | Won | |||
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Saturn | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| 2002 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | N/A | ||
| 2004 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | |||
| 2005 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | |||
| 2007 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | |||
| 2009 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | |||
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 | |||
| 2011 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | |||
| 2012 | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | BIFA | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
| Quartet | Golden Globe | Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical | Nominated | |
| 2015 | The Lady in the Van | BAFTA Film | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Nominated |
| Evening Standard British Film |
Best Actress | Won | ||
| Golden Globe | Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | Downton Abbey | N/A | ||
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Private Ear and The Public Eye | Evening Standard Theatre | Best Actress | Won |
| 1970 | Hedda Gabler | Best Actress | Won | |
| 1975 | Private Lives | Tony | Best Actress in a Play | Nominated |
| 1980 | Night and Day | Tony | Best Actress in a Play | Nominated |
| 1981 | Virginia | Evening Standard Theatre | Best Actress | Won |
| Olivier | Actress of the Year in a New Play | Nominated | ||
| 1984 | All for Love: "Mrs Silly" | BAFTA TV | Best Actress | Nominated |
| The Way of the World | Evening Standard Theatre | Best Actress | Won | |
| 1985 | Olivier | Comedy Performance of the Year | Nominated | |
| 1987 | Lettice and Lovage | Olivier | Actress of the Year | Nominated |
| 1990 | Tony | Best Actress in a Play | Won | |
| 1989 | Talking Heads: "A Bed Among the Lentils" | BAFTA TV | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 1993 | Screen Two: "Memento Mori" | BAFTA TV | Best Actress | Nominated |
| Great Performances: "Suddenly, Last Summer" | Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special | Nominated | |
| 1994 | Three Tall Women | Evening Standard Theatre | Best Actress | Won |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | Olivier | Best Comedy Performance | Nominated | |
| 1998 | A Delicate Balance | Olivier | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 2000 | David Copperfield | BAFTA TV | Best Actress | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | Nominated | ||
| The Lady in the Van | Olivier | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| 2003 | My House in Umbria | Golden Globe | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special | Won | ||
| Satellite | Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for TV | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Capturing Mary | Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special | Nominated |
| 2011 | Downton Abbey | Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | Won | ||
| Satellite | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | BAFTA TV | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Won | ||
| Satellite | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV | Won | ||
| Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Won | ||
| 2013 | Nominated | |||
| 2014 | ||||
| 2016 | Won | |||
| 2019 | A German Life | Evening Standard Theatre | Best Actress | Won |
Behind the scenes[]
Maggie Smith and Imelda Staunton
Maggie Smith and Imelda Staunton behind the scenes
- Maggie Smith has appeared in two projects with Dolores Umbridge actress Imelda Staunton: the 1999 TV miniseries David Copperfield and the 2019 film Downton Abbey.
- The former also features Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Dawn French (Fat Lady), and Zoë Wanamaker (Rolanda Hooch).
- Smith has starred alongside several actors and actresses from the Harry Potter films in various projects:
- Three films with Albus Dumbledore actor Michael Gambon:
- The 1965 film Othello, which was Gambon's film début.
- The 2001 film Gosford Park, which also features Kelly Macdonald (Helena Ravenclaw), and Stephen Fry (UK audiobook narrator).
- The 2012 film Quartet
- In addition to this, both Gambon and Smith died on the same day, one year apart.
- Julie Christie (Rosmerta) in the 1965 film Young Cassidy.
- Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley) in the 1984 film A Private Function.
- Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) in the 1985 film A Room with a View.
- John Hurt (Garrick Ollivander) in the 1990 film Romeo.Juliet.
- Zoë Wanamaker in the episode "Memento Mori" airing in 1992, from the TV anthology drama series Screen Two.
- Three films with Horace Slughorn actor Jim Broadbent:
- The 1995 film Richard III
- The 2015 film The Lady in the Van, which also features Frances de la Tour (Olympe Maxime).
- The 2021 film A Boy Called Christmas, which also features Toby Jones (Dobby's voice).
- Three films with Molly Weasley actress Julie Walters:
- The 2007 film Becoming Jane, which also features Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy).
- The 2011 film Gnomeo & Juliet
- The 2018 film Sherlock Gnomes, which also features Johnny Depp (Younger Gellert Grindelwald).
- Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew) in the 2009 film From Time to Time.
- Emma Thompson (Sybill Trelawney), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), and Rhys Ifans (Xenophilius Lovegood) in the 2010 film Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.
- Bill Nighy in the 2011 film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the 2015 film The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
- Three films with Albus Dumbledore actor Michael Gambon:
