Dame Maggie Smith was a British actress who worked in theatre, television and film. She made her professional theatre debut in 1956 playing Viola in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at the Oxford Playhouse. She made her Broadway debut in musical revue New Faces of 1956 (1956). Smith excelled in both comedy and drama performing in various works of Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Noël Coward, Edward Albee and Tom Stoppard. She received three Tony Award nominations for Private Lives (1975) and Night and Day (1980) before winning in 1990 for Lettice and Lovage.

Smith was also known for her film roles and started acting in films in the late 1950s before gaining her breakthrough film role in Othello (1965) in which she acted alongside Laurence Olivier and Michael Gambon. She won her first Academy Award for her performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969). She received her second win for her role as an Oscar loser in Neil Simon's California Suite (1978). Other notable roles include Travels with My Aunt (1972), Death on the Nile (1978), A Room with a View (1986), Richard III (1995), Gosford Park (2001) and Quartet (2012). Smith also starred in the commercially successful films Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and its sequel. Additionally, she gained worldwide attention and acclaim for her role as Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011).

Smith was also known for her roles on television appearing in various programmes including, BBC Sunday Night Theatre, Theatre Royal, Play of the Week, Armchair Theatre, Play of the Month and Screen Two. She also guest starred in The Carol Burnett Show. Smith received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her work in Suddenly, Last Summer (1992), David Copperfield (1999) and Capturing Mary (2010). Smith won for My House in Umbria (2003). Smith gained international acclaim for her performance in Downton Abbey (2010–2015) as the Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham. She received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations winning three times.

Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes 1956 Child in the House Party Guest 1958 Nowhere to Go Bridget Howard 1962 Go to Blazes Chantal 1963 Miss Mead 1964 Philpot 1965 Young Cassidy Nora Othello Desdemona 1967 Sarah Watkins 1968 Hot Millions Patty Terwilliger Smith 1969 Jean Brodie Oh! What a Lovely War Music Hall Star 1972 Travels with My Aunt Aunt Augusta Bertram 1973 Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing Lila Fisher 1976 Murder by Death Dora Charleston 1978 Death on the Nile Miss Bowers California Suite Diana Barrie 1981 Quartet Lois Heidler Clash of the Titans Thetis 1982 Evil Under the Sun Daphne Castle Lady Isabel Ames 1983 Better Late Than Never Miss Anderson 1984 Lily in Love Lily Wynn Joyce Chilvers 1985 Charlotte Bartlett 1987 Judith Hearne 1990 Romeo.Juliet Rosaline Voice 1991 Hook Wendy Darling 1992 Sister Act Mother Superior 1993 Mrs Medlock Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit Mother Superior 1995 Richard III Cecily Neville 1996 Gunilla Garson Goldberg 1997 Washington Square Aunt Lavinia Penniman 1999 Curtain Call Lily Marlowe Re-released as It All Came True Tea with Mussolini Lady Hester Random The Last September Lady Myra Naylor 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Minerva McGonagall Gosford Park Constance Trentham 2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Caro Eliza Bennett Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Minerva McGonagall 2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Ladies in Lavender Janet Widdington 2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Minerva McGonagall Keeping Mum Grace Hawkins 2007 Becoming Jane Lady Gresham Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Minerva McGonagall 2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince From Time to Time Linnet Oldknow 2010 Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang Agatha Docherty Also known as Nanny McPhee Returns 2011 Gnomeo & Juliet Lady Bluebury Voice Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Minerva McGonagall 2012 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Muriel Donnelly Quartet Jean Horton 2014 My Old Lady Mathilde Girard 2015 The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Muriel Donnelly The Lady in the Van Miss Shepherd2018 Sherlock Gnomes Lady Bluebury Voice Nothing Like a Dame Herself Documentary 2019 Downton Abbey Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham 2021 A Boy Called Christmas Aunt Ruth 2022 Downton Abbey: A New Era Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham 2023 The Miracle Club Lily Fox

Source: Turner Classic Movies

Television Year Title Role Notes 1955 BBC Sunday-Night Theatre Performer Episode: "The Makepeace Story #3: Family Business" 1956 Theatre Royal Paula Benson Episode: "Death Under the City" The Adventures of Aggie Fiona Frobisher-Smith Episode: "Cobalt Blue" 1957 Sing for Your Supper Ann Carter Television film Kraft Television Theatre Performer Episode: "Night of the Plague" ITV Play of the Week Various roles 6 episodes: 1957–1960 On Stage – London Performer Episode: "Episode #1.3" 1958 Armchair Theatre Julie, The Girl, Anna Carnot 3 episodes: 1958–1960 1959 ITV Television Playhouse Doto, Elaine 2 episodes 1966 ITV Play of the Week Victoria Episode: "Home and Beauty" 1967 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Television film 1968 Play of the Month Ann Whitefield Episode: "Man and Superman" ITV Playhouse Mrs Wislack Episode: "On Approval" 1972 Play of the Month Portia Episode: "The Merchant of Venice" Epifania Episode: "The Millionairess" 1974–75 The Carol Burnett Show Various roles American TV debut; 3 episodes 1983 All for Love Mrs Silly Episode: "Mrs Silly" 1988 Talking Heads Susan Episode: "A Bed Among the Lentils" 1992 Screen Two Mrs Mabel Pettigrew Episode: "Memento Mori" 1993 Great Performances Violet Venable Episode: "Suddenly, Last Summer" 1999 All the King's Men Queen Alexandra Television film, BBC David Copperfield Betsey Trotwood Miniseries – 2 episodes 2003 My House in Umbria Emily Delahunty Television film, HBO 2007 Capturing Mary Mary Gilbert 2010–15 Downton Abbey Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham Series – 52 episodes2014 National Theatre Live: 50 Years On Stage Mrs Sullen Television special, PBS

Theatre Year Title Role Venue 1952 Twelfth Night Viola Oxford Playhouse He Who Gets SlappedPerformer Clarendon Press CinderellaOxford Playhouse 1953 Rookery Nook Housemaster Cakes and Ale revue, Edinburgh Festival The Love of Four Colonels Oxford Playhouse 1954 The Ortolan Maxton Hall Don't Listen LadiesOxford Playhouse The Government Inspector The Letter A Man About The HouseOn the Milerevue, Edinburgh Festival Oxford AccentsWatergate Theatre, London Theatre 1900Oxford Playhouse Listen to the Wind 1955 The Magistrate The School for Scandal 1956 New Faces of '56 Various roles Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway 1957 Share My Lettuce Performer Lyric Theatre Comedy TheatreGarrick Theatre 1958 The Stepmother Vera DaneSt. Martin's Theatre 1959 The Double Dealer Lady PlyantThe Old Vic As You Like It Celia Richard II The Queen The Merry Wives of Windsor Mistress Ford 1960What Every Woman Knows Maggie Wylie RhinocerosDaisyStrand Theatre Strip the Willow PerformerUK tour 1961 The Rehearsal Lucile Bristol Old Vic Globe Theatre Queen's Theatre 1962 The Private Ear & The Public Eye Belinda/DoreenGlobe Theatre 1963 Mary, MaryMaryQueen's Theatre The Recruiting OfficerSilviaNational Theatre 1964 Othello Desdemona The Master BuilderHilda Wangel Hay FeverMyra Arundel 1965 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Trelawny of the "Wells"Avonia Bunn 1966 Miss JulieMiss Julie Black ComedyClea A Bond HonouredMarcela 1969 The Country WifeMargery PinchwifeChichester Festival Theatre 1970 The Beaux' StratagemMrs Sullen National Theatre Ahmanson Theatre The Old Vic Hedda Gabler Hedda Tesman National Theatre Cambridge Theatre The Old Vic Three Sisters Masha Ahmanson Theatre 1971 Design for Living Gilda 1972 Private Lives Amanda PrynneQueen's Theatre 1973 Peter PanPeter PanLondon Coliseum 1974SnapConnie Hudson Vaudeville Theatre 1975 Private Lives Amanda PrynneUS tour and 46th Street Theatre 1976 The Way of the WorldMillamant Stratford Shakespeare Festival Antony and CleopatraCleopatra Three Sisters MashaMeasure for Measure Mistress Overdone The GuardsmanThe ActressStratford Shakespeare Festival/Ahmanson 1977 A Midsummer Night's DreamTitania/Hippolyta Richard IIIQueen ElizabethStratford Shakespeare Festival As You Like It Rosalind Hay FeverJudith Bliss 1978 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Private Lives Amanda Prynne 1979 Night and Day Ruth CarsonPhoenix Theatre ANTA Playhouse, Broadway 1980 Much Ado About NothingBeatriceStratford Shakespeare Festival The SeagullArkadina VirginiaVirginia WoolfSSF/Haymarket Theatre 1984 The Way of the WorldMillamantChichester/Haymarket Theatre 1985 Interpreters Nadia Ogilvy-SmithQueen's Theatre 1986 The Infernal MachineJocastaLyric Theatre 1987 Coming into Land Halina Rodziewiczowna Royal National Theatre Lyttelton TheatreLettice and LovageLettice Doucett Globe Theatre 1990 Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway 1993 The Importance of Being EarnestLady BracknellAldwych Theatre 1994 Three Tall WomenAWyndham's Theatre 1996 Talking HeadsSusanChichester/Comedy Theatre 1997 A Delicate BalanceClaireHaymarket Theatre 1999 The Lady in the Van Miss Mary ShepherdQueen's Theatre 2002 The Breath of Life Madeleiane Palmer Haymarket Theatre 2004 Talking HeadsSusanAustralia/New Zealand tour 2007 The Lady from DubuqueElizabethHaymarket Theatre 2019 A German LifeBrunhilde PomselBridge Theatre

Audio recording Year Title Role Notes 1957 Share my Lettuce Orange Original London cast recording, Nixa 18011 plum label LP, 1957. 1968 Mary Poppins Mary Poppins Dramatised reading with cast from Travers' books. Fontana Special, SFL 14098 LP.

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2018 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Minerva McGonagall Voice

See also List of awards and nominations received by Maggie Smith

References

External links