Biography of Maggie Smith
Dame Maggie Smith was a celebrated British actress whose illustrious career, spanning nearly seven decades, garnered her an impressive array of accolades, including two Academy Awards for her stellar performances in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' and 'California Suite'.Early Years
Maggie, born Margaret Natalie Smith in the winter of 1934, was the much-anticipated daughter of Nathaniel Smith and Margaret Hutton, residents of Ilford in the county of Essex. She grew up in a household with older twin brothers, about whom she fondly reminisced in later years after achieving fame:Although her parents were intellectually inclined, their earnings were modest. Her father served as a pathologist at the University of Oxford, while her mother toiled as a secretary. They were, as one might say, of the lower middle class.My brothers - twins, six years my senior - became architects. They were superbly gifted in drawing, and I believe it was a mystery even to our parents whom they took after. I haven't the faintest clue as to why I chose the path I did. But it was Ian and Alistair who introduced me to the vastness of our world, convincing me it was an incredibly fascinating place.
While attending Oxford University, Smith concurrently enrolled in an acting school and soon found herself performing in student theatre. Her debut on the stage came in the form of Viola in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'.Perhaps that's why I initially ventured into comedy, hoping that if you entertain people, they will overlook your appearance.
Acting Career
In 1953, Maggie made her professional debut on the stage of the Old Vic Theatre, subsequently gracing the stage of the Royal National Theatre in London with performances in 'The School for Scandal', 'Cinderella', and 'Mary, Mary'. Theatre directors noted that productions featuring the young actress invariably met with success among the audience, earning her the epithet of the stage's talisman.Maggie Smith's Personal Life
At the age of eighteen, playing Viola in "Twelfth Night," Maggie met Oxford history graduate and future playwright Beverley Cross. He was impressed by her performance on the student theater stage, and later saw her on the stage of "Old Vic" and couldn't restrain his feelings anymore.It was he who proposed that Maggie agree to become part of the National Theatre troupe. Unaware that Smith would seriously fall for her colleague, actor Robert Stephens, at the theater. In 1967, Smith and Stephens got married.She is about 25 years old and she is very beautiful. Elegant and refined, like an international top model. With a great sense of humor. An amazing girl.
Quarrels happened more and more frequently, the husband's jealousy and his extramarital affairs drove Maggie to despair. Later, the woman admitted in an interview that her husband had seen a doctor:
Even for the sake of her sons, she did not endure any longer, and in 1975 she divorced her husband. That same year, the actress finally married her longtime friend Beverley Cross: he knew that his beloved was getting a divorce, immediately reappeared on the horizon, and devoted his life to his wife and her children from her first marriage.He was diagnosed with «hypermania», and when he asked what that meant, the doctor told him about sharp mood swings and disorderly sexual activity. I then thought: «Yes, that's exactly it!»
Final Years and Death
In 2021, the actress starred in the adventure fantasy "A Boy Called Christmas," playing Aunt Ruth. Maggie Smith also returned to her role as Violet Crawley in the series "Downton Abbey 2." The premiere took place in the spring of 2022.Maggie Smith passed away peacefully in the hospital early this morning, Friday, September 27. She was a very private person. In the end, she was with friends and family. She is survived by two sons and five loving grandchildren, who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and boundless kindness in her final days.
Interesting Facts
- In her youth, Maggie Smith decided to get back at Laurence Olivier for his constant criticisms during rehearsals for the play "Othello." The famous actor suffered from eye irritation because the mascara used on his lashes stung and made his eyes water, ruining his makeup. Maggie suggested and helped Olivier apply false eyelashes and calmly rhymed, "How now, brown cow?" to which he just as calmly replied, "That's better."
- The actress faced serious illnesses twice in her life. In 1988, she was diagnosed with Graves' disease, underwent surgery, and received radiation therapy. While filming the final part of the Harry Potter series, she learned about a new diagnosis: breast cancer. She continued working on set while undergoing chemotherapy. She joked that her chemotherapy "energized the Harry Potter makeup artists" – putting on a wig is much easier when you don't have a single hair on your head.
- Maggie didn't enjoy social events. She preferred solitude: a quiet life in Chelsea, relaxing in Venice, or spending time with her friend Judi Dench. She met her at the Old Vic Theatre and maintained a close friendship ever since. They even acted together in several films, for example, "A Room with a View" and "Tea with Mussolini."
- Smith holds the so-called Triple Crown of Acting. To achieve this, one must win the top awards for roles in film, theater, and television. Her awards collection includes several Oscars, Tonys, and Emmys.
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