Profile of the Day: Maggie Smith

Today we remember acting legend Maggie Smith, who has passed away at the age of 89.

Image: Maggie Smith / Mike Lidgley, Flickr CC0, public domain

Smith was born on December 28, 1934 in Ilford, Essex, England to Margaret Hutton and Nathaniel Smith, a public heath pathologist. She made her stage debut at the age of 17, taking on the role of Viola in Twelfth Night at the Oxford Playhouse. As her career kicked off, she made appearances on television and film, earning her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 1965 film adaptation of Othello. She later went on to appear in several high profile projects including a long tenure in the beloved Harry Potter film series as Professor Minerva McGonagall. Her popularity only increased after joining the award-winning television series Downton Abbey in 2010. For six seasons, Smith appeared as the matriarch Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham. She later reprised her role for the Downton Abbey feature film.

With an extensive and acclaimed career on stage, film, and television, Smith received many accolades including two Academy Awards, four Emmys, and a Tony Award. In 1990, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Smith died on September 27, 2024 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, surrounded by her friends and family.