It is with great sorrow that the world bids farewell to Dame Maggie Smith, an illustrious figure of British theatre and cinema, whose remarkable career spanned decades. Known for her unparalleled versatility and commanding presence, Smith left an indelible mark on stage and screen, from performing alongside the legendary Laurence Olivier in “Othello” to her roles in the “Harry Potter” franchise and the beloved series “Downton Abbey.” Her sons confirmed her passing through their representative, Clair Dobbs. She was 89 years old.
The family’s statement read, “With profound sadness, we must share the news of Dame Maggie Smith’s passing. She left this world peacefully in hospital early on Friday, 27th September, surrounded by close friends and family. A deeply private person, she is mourned by her two sons and five devoted grandchildren, who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. We wish to extend our gratitude to the remarkable staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their exceptional care and compassion during her final days.”
Born in 1934 in Ilford, at the time a burgeoning suburb of east London, Smith’s early years were shaped by the impending clouds of World War II. Her family relocated to Oxford, where her father pursued his work as a pathologist at Oxford University. Her love for the stage blossomed at a young age, leading her to attend the Oxford Playhouse School between 1951 and 1953. It was here that she made her stage debut in the Oxford University Dramatic Society’s production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Her theatrical trajectory quickly ascended. By 1956, Smith appeared on Broadway in New Faces of 1956, and not long after, she held the lead comedic role in the London revue Share My Lettuce (1957-1958). Her performances at the Old Vic Theatre soon became a hallmark of her early career, solidifying her as a rising talent in British theatre.
In 1964, Smith delivered an unforgettable portrayal of Desdemona opposite Olivier’s Othello, a role she reprised in the 1965 film adaptation. Her talents were further recognized when she earned her first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1969 for her captivating portrayal of an eccentric schoolteacher in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Nearly a decade later, she claimed her second Academy Award, this time for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Neil Simon’s California Suite (1978). Her immense body of work also garnered several British Academy Film Awards, most notably for her roles in A Room with a View (1985) and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987).
In 1990, Smith was honored with the title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a testament to her profound contributions to the arts. Yet, even as accolades piled up, her most iconic roles were still ahead.
One of her later cinematic triumphs came with Tea with Mussolini (1999), a touching film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, in which she played one of a group of British women navigating the challenges of life in fascist-era Florence. However, for many, her portrayal of Professor Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) became her defining role in the 21st century, introducing her to an entirely new generation of fans. She continued to grace the Harry Potter series in subsequent films, each time commanding the screen with a delicate balance of stern authority and subtle warmth.
In television, Smith dazzled audiences once again in the role of Violet Crawley, the sharp-tongued Dowager Countess of Grantham, in the critically acclaimed series Downton Abbey. Her witty and withering one-liners earned her three Emmy Awards, cementing her place as a cultural icon. She reprised the role in a feature-length film adaptation of Downton Abbey in 2019, where her portrayal was met with the same adulation.
Despite her towering fame, Smith remained an emblem of aging with grace and dignity. Her charm and wit endured, as reflected in a 2017 interview with Women’s World, where she humorously quipped about not attending award ceremonies: “If I ventured to Los Angeles, I think I’d terrify people… they’re unaccustomed to seeing someone of my age.”
Smith was married twice, first to actor Robert Stephens, with whom she shared two sons before their divorce in 1974. She later married playwright Beverley Cross, a union that lasted until his passing in 1998.
Dame Maggie Smith’s legacy is one of formidable talent and unyielding grace. Her contributions to theatre and film have forever enriched the world of performance, ensuring her memory will endure for generations to come.