“My wife and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dame Maggie Smith. As the curtain falls on a national treasure, we join everyone around the world in remembering with the greatest admiration and affection her many wonderful performances and her warmth and wit that shone through both on and off stage,” Charles III said in a statement.
“Dame Maggie Smith introduced us to new worlds through the countless stories she starred in over her long career. She was adored by so many for her great talent, becoming a true national treasure whose work will be admired for generations to come,” he wrote on the X platform Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“Maggie Smith brought an incredible range of expression to her roles, earning high praise from directors and fellow actors alike. It was said of her that she never took a role lightly and often walked around repeating her lines after rehearsals when the rest of the cast was on break. In the profession “Famously insecure, her career was notable for its length. She made her acting debut in 1952 and was still working six decades later, rising from aspiring star to national treasure,” the BBC reported.
“It seemed that the only person who didn’t analyze her acting was Smith herself. Her career, she said, could be summed up in one sentence: ‘You went to school, you wanted to act, you started acting and you’re still acting.'” She consistently refused. engaging in self-promotional activities, did not participate in talk shows and rarely gave interviews,” wrote The Times.
“She was seen as a rare embodiment of English poise and eccentricity – as well as human complexity. She could wear her imperious appearance like a mask, but her wide blue eyes could convey a haunted vulnerability as effortlessly as she did a scolding disdain. Tall and elegant, she had impressive technique , and in later years an impressive attitude, which she often used, without losing her status as a national treasure,” the Daily Telegraph described the late star.
“She was an artist whose repertoire ranged from the high style of Restoration comedy to the sadder, suburban creations of Alan Bennett. Whatever she played, she did it with a funny, often sharp, flavor of humor. Her comedy was fueled by anxiety, and her instinct for the right gesture was unerring,” he said “The Guardian”.
Maggie Smith would have turned 90 this December. She was born on December 28, 1934 in Ilford. She began her acting career on the stage of the theater. She made her Broadway debut in 1952 as a student. In turn, she appeared on screen for the first time four years later – she appeared in an episodic role in “Child in the House”.
From 1963 she performed at The National Theater. She received her first Oscar nomination in the 1960s for her role in the film adaptation of “Othello.” She was awarded a prestigious statuette in 1970 in the category of best leading actress for “The Full Life of Miss Brodie” and in 1979 in the category of best supporting actress for “California Suite”.
In addition to her legendary performances in the theater, Maggie Smith is remembered by viewers as Professor Minerva McGonagall from the “Harry Potter” film series and Dowager Countess Violet Crawley from the “Downton Abbey” series. She last appeared on the big screen in 2023 in the film “Wonder Women’s Club”.