Yahoo Movies Maggie Smith's most memorable film and TV roles
Acting legend Dame Maggie Smith has died aged 89
Oscar-winning star Dame Maggie Smith was a legend on and off screen — having made a name for herself in the theatre, movie and television spheres over her 70-year career.
The actor — who was best known for her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey — died aged 89 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, in London, on Friday, with her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens breaking the news of their mum's death.
In a statement issued via their publicist, they said: "It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27 September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
Read more
Hugh Bonneville recalls 'very special' final day with Maggie Smith on Downton Abbey
Maggie Smith, Oscar-winning star of stage and screen, dies aged 89 (The Guardian, 4-min read)
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days. We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time."
Her high-profile career saw her win 58 awards including: two Oscars, five BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Primetime Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award.
First she was on stage at the age of 18 performing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night but it was at the age of 36, Smith won her first Oscar for her memorable role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Some of Smith's most beloved movie and TV roles - such as Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey which won her a huge younger audience - came later in her life.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Smith landed her first Oscar in 1970 with the 1969 movie The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie where she played a schoolmistress.
The actor wasn't at the Oscars to collect her first Academy Award so on her behalf, Alice Ghostley received the trophy and gave a speech which praised the actor for her "magnificent" performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Ghostley said: "Well, I'm standing here and I'm thinking that with a marvellous husband like Robert Stephens and a distinguished director like Robert Fryer and the courage of a man like Richard Zanuck; well, put those all together and you just can't miss.
"And they didn't. And we in America present this award to you, Maggie, with as much thanks as it is a tribute to your magnificent performance. And thank you, everyone, from Maggie Smith."
California Suite
Just shy of a decade after her first Oscar win, Smith would get her second Academy Award this time for best supporting actress. She stepped into the role of an actor who was — ironically — fretting over her Oscar nomination in 1978 comedy movie California Suite that was adapted from the play.
In her acceptance speech, Smith shared her disbelief at winning the award. She told the crowd: "I just, I just really can't believe it. I'm very, very honoured and very grateful. I would like to thank Neil Simon. I would like to thank Herbie Ross.
"And I would very much like Michael Caine to be here, because believe you me, he was the most supporting actor ever in the world, and it really should go right down the middle. Thank you very much indeed."
Gosford Park
Smith's part in 2001 English country house drama Gosford Park would pave the way for the actor to land her place in Downton Abbey in a similar role, again portraying the dowager countess, which would become one of her biggest roles.
Gosford Park was an Agatha Christie-style whodunnit, with the murder unfolding at a weekend shooting party against the backdrop of 1932. It was an all-star cast which saw Smith play her role alongside Helen Mirren, Charles Dance, Richard E. Grant and Clive Owen in the mystery film. Smith's performance won her a nod from the Academy Awards as she was nominated for Best Actress, although she did not win.
Downton Abbey was written and created by Julian Fellowes who had originally envisioned it to be a spin-off from the movie. However in planning, the project grew and it became a huge story in its own right which led to six TV series and two movies.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Smith was also memorable in The Best Marigold Hotel, alongside stars including Judi Dench and Bill Nighy. The fictional hotel welcomed seven British tourists on holiday, each with hopes for the future as they tried to move on their past. She stepped into the shoes of a former housekeeper Muriel Donnelly who moved to India for a cheaper hip operation.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter took Smith's level of fame to new heights. The franchise of films hugely added to her fan base as she took on the role of stern teacher Professor Minerva McGonagall who was always seen telling off the students at the wizarding school Hogwarts.
"Harry Potter is my pension," she once told The Telegraph.
The actor said she was "grateful" for her role in Harry Potter, as well as Downton Abbey, but it didn't feel like acting to her. She told ES magazine: "I am deeply grateful for the work in (Harry) Potter and indeed Downton (Abbey) but it wasn’t what you’d call satisfying. I didn’t really feel I was acting in those things."
Downton Abbey
Smith courted lots of attention in her role as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, who was known for her cutting remarks. Her Emmy-award winning role was similar to that of her earlier movie part in Gosford Park.
The actor played a huge part in the success of the show which ran for six series until it wrapped in 2015. Admittedly, Smith said the success of Downton Abbey had been "exhausting" at times. She previously told The Telegraph: "It was right to stop. It was one of those odd things — nobody knew it was going to go careering on as long as it did, and it was jolly exhausting."
When Downton Abbey hit the big screen, Smith returned to reprise her role for the two movies first in 2019 and finally in 2022. Her character Violet died in the 2022 movie Downton Abbey: A New Era. The cast of Downton Abbey are returning once again for a third film.
