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Dame Margaret Natalie "Maggie" Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress, who plays Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.[1]

In her career, Smith has won two Academy Awards out of her six nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role in 1970 for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1978 for California Suite. Additionally, she has won five BAFTAs, and one Tony Award for her stage work. For TV, she has won two Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in Miniseries or a Movie for My House in Umbria, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in Miniseries or a Movie for Downton Abbey.

Biography[]

Maggie Smith's career began at the Oxford Playhouse in the 1950s. She made her film début in 1956 as one of the party guests in a film called Child in the House. After that she has been acting with the most prominent actors and actresses in the world in over sixty films and TV-series, including The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), California Suite (1978) with Michael Caine and Jane Fonda, A Room with a View (1985), Hook (1991) with Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams and Julia Roberts, Sister Act and Sister Act II: Back In The Habit (1992-1993) with Whoopi Goldberg, Franco Zeffirelli's Tea with Mussolini (1999) with Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Cher, and Gosford Park (2001) with Kristin Scott Thomas and Clive Owen, directed by Robert Altman.

ProfessorMcGonagall-HBP

Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall

In 2001, Maggie Smith made her appearance as the formidable Professor McGonagall for the first time in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

2010 found her as a regular on the drama Downton Abbey (2010-2015) where she plays the Dowager Countess of Grantham.

In 2011, she voiced the animated character of "Lady Bluebury" in Gnomeo & Juliet, and reprised the role in its 2018 sequel, Sherlock Gnomes.

Personal life[]

Maggie Smith was born in Ilford, Essex on 28 December, 1934 to Margaret and Nathaniel Smith. Her father was pathology laboratory technician at Oxford University, and her mother worked as a secretary. She attended Oxford High School until the age of 16.

Smith has been married twice. First on 29 June, 1967 to actor Robert Stephens and had two sons with him, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, both actors. She and Stephens divorced on 6 May, 1974. On 23 August, 1975 she married playwright Beverly Cross and the marriage ended with his death on 20 March, 1998. Smith was, at the time, appearing in the play A Delicate Balance, but she continued until the end of the run.

In 2007, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but struggled through the filming of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince while undergoing the chemo treatments. In 2009, during the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, she developed Shingles (a painful skin rash), but still continued the film despite the pain.

Selective filmography[]

Year Work Award Category Result
1958 Nowhere to Go BAFTA Film Most Promising Newcomer to Film Nominated
1963 The V.I.P.s Golden Globe New Star of the Year – Actress Nominated
1965 Othello Academy Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Golden Globe Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Nominated
Young Cassidy BAFTA Film Best British Actress Nominated
1969 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Academy Best Actress Won
BAFTA Film Best Actress Won
Golden Globe Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Nominated
1972 Travels with My Aunt Academy Best Actress Nominated
Golden Globe Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Nominated
1978 Death on the Nile BAFTA Film Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
California Suite Academy Best Supporting Actress Won
Golden Globe Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Won
1979 BAFTA Film Best Actress Nominated
Evening Standard
British Film
Best Actress Won
1981 Quartet BAFTA Film Best Actress Nominated
Evening Standard
British Film
Best Actress Won
Clash of the Titans Saturn Best Supporting Actress Nominated
1984 A Private Function BAFTA Film Best Actress Won
1986 A Room with a View Academy Best Supporting Actress Nominated
BAFTA Film Best Actress in a Leading Role Won
Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Won
1988 The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne BAFTA Film Best Actress in a Leading Role Won
Evening Standard
British Film
Best Actress Won
1992 Sister Act N/A
1993 The Secret Garden BAFTA Film Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit N/A
1999 Tea with Mussolini BAFTA Film Best Actress in a Supporting Role Won
2001 Gosford Park Academy Best Supporting Actress Nominated
BAFTA Film Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated
Satellite Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Won
Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble Won
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Saturn Best Supporting Actress Nominated
2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets N/A
2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2012 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel BIFA Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Quartet Golden Globe Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Nominated
2015 The Lady in the Van BAFTA Film Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated
Evening Standard
British Film
Best Actress Won
Golden Globe Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Nominated
2019 Downton Abbey N/A
Stage and TV
Year Work Award Category Result
1962 The Private Ear and The Public Eye Evening Standard Theatre Best Actress Won
1970 Hedda Gabler Best Actress Won
1975 Private Lives Tony Best Actress in a Play Nominated
1980 Night and Day Tony Best Actress in a Play Nominated
1981 Virginia Evening Standard Theatre Best Actress Won
Olivier Actress of the Year in a New Play Nominated
1984 All for Love: "Mrs Silly" BAFTA TV Best Actress Nominated
The Way of the World Evening Standard Theatre Best Actress Won
1985 Olivier Comedy Performance of the Year Nominated
1987 Lettice and Lovage Olivier Actress of the Year Nominated
1990 Tony Best Actress in a Play Won
1989 Talking Heads: "A Bed Among the Lentils" BAFTA TV Best Actress Nominated
1993 Screen Two: "Memento Mori" BAFTA TV Best Actress Nominated
Great Performances: "Suddenly, Last Summer" Primetime Emmy Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special Nominated
1994 Three Tall Women Evening Standard Theatre Best Actress Won
The Importance of Being Earnest Olivier Best Comedy Performance Nominated
1998 A Delicate Balance Olivier Best Actress Nominated
2000 David Copperfield BAFTA TV Best Actress Nominated
Primetime Emmy Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Nominated
The Lady in the Van Olivier Best Actress Nominated
2003 My House in Umbria Golden Globe Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Primetime Emmy Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special Won
Satellite Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for TV Nominated
2010 Capturing Mary Primetime Emmy Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special Nominated
2011 Downton Abbey Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Primetime Emmy Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Won
Satellite Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV Nominated
2012 BAFTA TV Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Won
Satellite Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV Won
Primetime Emmy Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Won
2013 Nominated
2014
2016 Won
2019 A German Life Evening Standard Theatre Best Actress Won

Behind the scenes[]

Maggie_Smith_and_Imelda_Staunton

Maggie Smith and Imelda Staunton

Maggie Smith and Imelda Staunton behind the scenes

External links[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 7 images related to Maggie Smith.

Notes and references[]

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