Maggie Smith bio, young pictures, career path, age, height, family, children

Biography of Maggie Smith

Dame Maggie Smith was a legendary British actress whose remarkable career spanned nearly seven decades, earning her countless honors including two Academy Awards for her unforgettable performances in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' and 'California Suite'.

Early in her career, she shared the stage with Laurence Olivier and worked with legendary director Ingmar Bergman. Younger fans knew her best as the stern Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, while longtime admirers cherished her brilliant work in Agatha Christie adaptations. She held the distinguished title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Early Years

Born Margaret Natalie Smith in winter 1934, Maggie was the beloved daughter of Nathaniel Smith and Margaret Hutton, who lived in Ilford, Essex. She grew up with older twin brothers, whom she fondly remembered in later interviews:

My brothers - twins, six years older than me - became architects. They were incredibly talented at drawing, and I think it was a mystery even to our parents where that came from. I have no idea why I chose the path I did. But Ian and Alistair opened my eyes to the world and convinced me it was an absolutely fascinating place.

Though her parents were well-educated, they didn't earn much money. Her father worked as a pathologist at Oxford University, while her mother worked as a secretary. They were what you'd call lower middle class.

As a child, Maggie Smith thought she was the ugly duckling

Maggie was just four when the family moved to Oxford. There, she attended a primary school for girls. After seeing a school play, she dreamed of being on stage but thought she was too plain. As a teenager, Maggie overheard her grandmother telling her mother to talk her out of acting because of her "unappealing" face. She suggested enrolling Maggie in typing courses. But the cruel comments didn't stop Maggie from pursuing her dream:

Maybe that's why I started with comedy - I figured if you make people laugh, they won't care what you look like.

While at Oxford University, Smith also studied at acting school and quickly began performing in student theater. Her debut on the stage came in the form of Viola in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'.

Right: Maggie Smith with her mother and brothers, left - at 16 years old at school

Acting Career

In 1953, Maggie made her professional debut at the Old Vic Theatre, later taking the stage at London's Royal National Theatre in productions of 'The School for Scandal', 'Cinderella', and 'Mary, Mary'. Theatre directors noticed that productions featuring the young actress were consistently successful with audiences, earning her the nickname 'the stage's talisman.'

Critics said Smith could transform a comedy into a tragedy with just a shift in intonation. Bernard Levin, a prominent journalist of the era, raved that the actress "didn't tread, but floated on the stage a yard above the floor."

But it was legendary Laurence Olivier, with whom Maggie shared the stage in 'Othello', who frequently critiqued the rising star during rehearsals. He criticized her pronunciation of vowels and what he saw as her overly deliberate delivery. Despite these disagreements, Olivier invited Smith to join the troupe of the newly formed National Theatre as one of its first members.

At 21, Maggie began appearing in small comedy television shows while continuing her theatre work. In 1958, she made her lead role debut as Bridget Howard in the crime drama 'Nowhere to Go', which earned her an immediate BAFTA nomination for 'Most Promising Newcomer.'

In 1964 and 1966, Smith was nominated for the Golden Globe and the Oscar for her roles as Miss Mead in 'The V.I.P.s', Nora in 'Young Cassidy', and Desdemona in the drama 'Othello'.

Maggie Smith and Rod Taylor in The V.I.P.s

But true fame came in 1970 when she swept the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Oscar for Best Actress in the comedic melodrama 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.' She played a complex character – a liberated teacher at a 1930s private school who manipulated her students' emotions, broke colleagues' hearts, and harbored Nazi sympathies.

Maggie Smith won her first Oscar for her role as Jean Brodie.

The seventies brought Maggie new achievements in theatre and film. Theatergoers remember her disillusioned yet comical Masha in Chekhov's 'Three Sisters' and her formidable Hedda Gabler in Ingmar Bergman's production. She played the role as a fragile woman dressed in black with an ever-present cigarette, consistently earning standing ovations.

Alongside her theatre work, Smith began accepting offers from Hollywood directors. She starred in the adventure comedy 'Travels with My Aunt' (Aunt Augusta Bertram) with directors Robert Stevenson and Robert Fleming, and she appeared in the detective film 'Murder by Death' (Mrs. Dora Charleston) with Peter Sellers and Peter Falk.

In 1979, Smith snagged another Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a British Academy Award for her brilliant portrayal of actress Diana Barrie in the comedic melodrama 'California Suite'. The leading roles in the film were played by Jane Fonda and Michael Caine.

Throughout the eighties, Maggie primarily worked in her homeland. She played Lois Heidler in 'Quartet' and Charlotte Bartlett in the melodrama 'A Room with a View' for director James Ivory. The latter film earned the actress another Oscar nomination plus Golden Globe and BAFTA awards.

In the nineties, Smith returned to Hollywood films. She played the Mother Superior in the crime comedy 'Sister Act' and its sequel. Her co-star in these films was Whoopi Goldberg.

Next, the actress starred with Ian McKellen and Robert Downey Jr. in the war drama 'Richard III', playing the Duchess of York. The actress found working on Franco Zeffirelli's 'Tea with Mussolini' particularly engaging, appearing as the widow of the British ambassador, Lady Hester Random. In 1999, Smith was again awarded a BAFTA for 'Best Supporting Actress'. The lead roles in the drama were played by Hollywood actress Judi Dench and singer Cher.

Maggie's most triumphant role came as the Transfiguration Professor, the prim but brave Minerva McGonagall in the 'Harry Potter' series, the first part of which hit the screens in 2001 and became a favorite film of teenagers worldwide. Smith appeared in all subsequent films about the boy wizard until 2011.

The actress also played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham in the family TV series 'Downton Abbey'. The saga generated incredible buzz and landed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most critically discussed. Smith was awarded an Emmy for this role and starred in the series until 2019.

Maggie Smith's Personal Life

At eighteen, while 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 when he later saw her at the Old Vic, he couldn't hold back his feelings any longer.

Maggie Smith and Beverley Cross in their youth

Beverley Cross wrote the play "Strip the Willow" specifically for Smith, describing the main character—based on Maggie—as follows:

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.

He was the one who suggested Maggie join the National Theatre troupe. Little did he know that Smith would fall hard for her colleague, actor Robert Stephens, at the theater. In 1967, Smith and Stephens got married.

Beverley was devastated and, almost as if to spite Maggie, married just weeks after her wedding. But he continued to follow her life closely. Meanwhile, in the year of their marriage, Smith and Stephens had a son Chris, and two years later - Toby. But cracks were already showing in the couple's relationship.

Maggie Smith with her first husband and their children

Maggie's career was progressing, her talent was recognized with new awards. While Maggie handled her fame with grace, Robert struggled painfully with his wife's success. He was particularly stung that Smith won an Oscar for the Jean Brodie film while "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes," where he played the lead, flopped at the box office.

Arguments became increasingly frequent, and her husband's jealousy and affairs drove Maggie to despair. Later, the woman admitted in an interview that her husband had seen a doctor:

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!'

Even for her sons' sake, she couldn't take it anymore, and in 1975 she divorced her husband. That same year, the actress finally married her longtime friend Beverley Cross—when he learned his beloved was getting divorced, he immediately came back into her life and devoted himself to his wife and her children from her first marriage.

Maggie Smith was faithful to her second husband until his death

Maggie Smith was with him for over twenty years, until his death from a heart attack in 1998.

Final Years and Death

In 2021, she starred in the adventure fantasy "A Boy Called Christmas," playing Aunt Ruth. Smith also returned to her role as Violet Crawley in "Downton Abbey: A New Era." The film premiered in spring 2022.

In recent years, Smith appeared less frequently due to declining health. On September 27, 2024, news of her passing was announced. She spent her final days in the hospital, surrounded by family and close friends. Her loved ones released a statement:

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 want to thank the wonderful staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and boundless kindness during her final days.

Interesting Facts

Early in her career, Smith decided to get back at Laurence Olivier for his constant criticisms during rehearsals for "Othello." Olivier suffered from eye irritation because the mascara on his lashes stung and made his eyes water, ruining his makeup. Smith suggested false eyelashes and helped Olivier apply them, calmly reciting "How now, brown cow?" to which he replied just as calmly, "That's better."
Smith 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 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.
Smith didn't enjoy social events. She preferred a quieter life: time in Chelsea, relaxing in Venice, or spending time with her friend Judi Dench. They met at the Old Vic Theatre and maintained a close friendship ever since. They appeared together in several films, including "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.

Photos: Maggie Smith