Maggie Smith
Biography
Maggie Smith, born Margaret Natalie Smith on 28 December 1934 in Ilford, Essex, England, was a British actress whose career spanned more than seven decades. She began performing as a student at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952 and made her professional Broadway debut in the revue New Faces of ’56. Recognised for her wit in comedic roles, Smith became one of Britain’s most recognisable and prolific performers. Her honours included two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Tony Award and nominations for six Laurence Olivier Awards, making her one of the few to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. She died on 27 September 2024 at the age of 89.
Career overview
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, CH DBE, was born on 28 December 1934 in Ilford, Essex, England, and died on 27 September 2024 at the age of 89. She began her stage work as a student, appearing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional Broadway debut in the production New Faces of ’56. Over a career that extended across more than seven decades, Smith became one of Britain’s most recognisable and prolific actresses, noted especially for her wit in comedic roles on both stage and screen. Her body of work encompassed a wide range of performances, reflected in more than one hundred credited appearances.
Smith’s achievements were recognised with a remarkable collection of honours. She received two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award, and she earned nominations for six Laurence Olivier Awards. These distinctions placed her among the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, underscoring her impact across film, television and theatre. Her extensive contributions to the performing arts left a lasting legacy that continued to be celebrated throughout her long and distinguished career.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration (2024) as Self / Various Roles (archive footage)
- Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story (2023) as Self (archive footage)
- The Miracle Club (2023) as Lily Fox
- Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) as Violet Crawley
- The Marvellous Maggie Smith: A Celebration (2022) as Self
- A Boy Called Christmas (2021) as Aunt Ruth
- Downton Abbey (2019) as Violet Crawley
- Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event (2019) as Self
- Sherlock Gnomes (2018) as Lady Bluebury (voice)
- Nothing Like a Dame (2018) as Self
- Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches (2017) as Self
- Woolf Works (2017) as Reading (voice)
- Robin And Mark And Richard III (2016) as Self
- The Lady in the Van (2015) as Miss Shepherd
- The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) as Muriel Donnelly
- Dames of Classic Drama at the BBC (2015) as Self (archive material)
- My Old Lady (2014) as Mathilde Girard
- Talking Pictures (2013) as Self (archive footage)
- National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage (2013) as Mrs. Sullen
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) as Muriel Donnelly
- Quartet (2012) as Jean Horton
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) as Minerva McGonagall
- Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) as Lady Bluebury (voice)
- Downton Abbey (2010) as Violet Crawley
- Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010) as Agatha Rose Doherty
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) as Minerva McGonagall
- From Time to Time (2009) as Linnet
- Maggie Smith at the BBC: a portrait (2008) as Self (archival footage)
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) as Minerva McGonagall
- Becoming Jane (2007) as Lady Gresham
- Capturing Mary (2007) as Mary Gilbert
- Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe (2006) as Self
- The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays (2006) as Lettice Douffet (segment "Lettice and Lovage")
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) as Minerva McGonagall
- Keeping Mum (2005) as Grace Hawkins
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) as Minerva McGonagall
- Ladies in Lavender (2004) as Janet
- The Magic Touch of Harry Potter (2004) as Self
- My House in Umbria (2003) as Mrs. Emily Delahunty
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) as Minerva McGonagall
- Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) as Caro
- The Making of Gosford Park (2002) as Self (uncredited)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) as Minerva McGonagall
- Gosford Park (2001) as Constance Trentham
- The Last September (2000) as Lady Myra Naylor
- David Copperfield (1999) as Betsey Trotwood
- Tea with Mussolini (1999) as Lady Hester Random
- All the King's Men (1999) as Queen Alexandra
- Curtain Call (1998) as Lily Marlowe
- Washington Square (1997) as Aunt Lavinia Penniman
- The First Wives Club (1996) as Gunilla Garson Goldberg
- Richard III (1995) as Duchess of York
- Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) as Mother Superior
- The Secret Garden (1993) as Mrs. Medlock
- Suddenly, Last Summer (1993) as Violet Venable
- Sister Act (1992) as Mother Superior
- Memento Mori (1992) as Mrs Mabel Pettigrew
- Performance (1991) as Mrs Venable
- Hook (1991) as Granny Wendy
- Romeo.Juliet (1990) as Rosaline (voice)
- Talking Heads (1988) as Susan
- Talking Heads (1988)
- The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987) as Judith Hearne
- A Room with a View (1986) as Charlotte Bartlett
- Screen Two (1985) as Mrs. Mabel Pettigrew
- Lily in Love (1984) as Lily Wynn
- A Private Function (1984) as Joyce Chilvers
- Better Late Than Never (1983) as Miss Anderson
- Mrs. Silly (1983) as Mrs Silly
- Evil Under the Sun (1982) as Daphne Castle
- The Missionary (1982) as Lady Isabel Ames
- All for Love (1982) as Mrs. Silly
- The Making of Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun' (1982) as Self / Daphne Castle
- Entertainment Tonight (1981) as Self
- Clash of the Titans (1981) as Thetis
- Quartet (1981) as Lois Heidler
- Death on the Nile (1978) as Miss Bowers
- California Suite (1978) as Diana Barrie
- Murder by Death (1976) as Dora Charleston
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973) as Lila Fisher
- The Merchant of Venice (1972) as Portia
- Travels with My Aunt (1972) as Augusta Bertram
- The Millionairess (1972) as Epifania
- Great Performances (1971) as Violet Venable
- Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) as Music Hall Star
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) as Jean Brodie
- Hot Millions (1968) as Patty Terwilliger Smith
- The Carol Burnett Show (1967) as Self
- ITV Playhouse (1967) as Mrs. Wislack
- The Honey Pot (1967) as Sarah Watkins
- Much Ado About Nothing (1967) as Beatrice
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Ann Whitefield
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Portia
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Epifana
- Sean O'Casey: The Spirit of Ireland (1965) as self
- Young Cassidy (1965) as Nora
- Othello (1965) as Desdemona
- Olivier Talks About Othello (1965) as (archive footage)
- The Pumpkin Eater (1964) as Philpot
- The V.I.P.s (1963) as Miss Mead
- Go to Blazes (1962) as Chantal
- Nowhere to Go (1958) as Bridget Howard
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Nominee
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Performer / Winner
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self (archive footage)
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Anna Carnot
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Juliet Denise
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as The Girl
- Child in the House (1956) as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Lilli Palmer Theatre (1955) as Paula Benson
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Sunday Night Theatre (1950)
- Kraft Television Theatre (1947)
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee