The passing of actress Maggie Smith – winner of 2 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes, and 7 BAFTAs – has left many regrets for audiences around the world.
Maggie Smith is famous worldwide for her role as Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter – Photo: Variety
According to Variety , on September 27, British actress Maggie Smith passed away in hospital at the age of 89.
Her sons – Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin – told the BBC: “It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of Dame Maggie Smith today.
A private person, her final moments were spent surrounded by family and friends. We are deeply saddened by the loss of a wonderful mother and grandmother.”
Maggie Smith’s illustrious acting career
Maggie Smith is one of the most prolific actresses of the 20th and 21st centuries, renowned for a career spanning decades on stage, film, and television.
When she first started her career, Maggie Smith’s beauty always received a lot of attention from the world audience – Photo: The New York Times
She is best known to global audiences for her role as the authoritative yet compassionate Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter film series .
However, before she became globally famous for this role, Maggie Smith was an icon of stage and screen.
She won the prestigious Academy Award twice , first for her role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and second for California Suite (1978).
On stage, Maggie Smith was a captivating actress with many distinguished roles in Shakespeare and other classic plays.
Maggie Smith’s elegant beauty in 1969 – Photo: The Guardian
In 1990, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), an honor only few of her generation, including Judi Dench and Diana Rigg, have received.
Aside from the Harry Potter series, another notable role of hers is Violet Crawley, Countess of Grantham in the popular TV series Downton Abbey (2010).
The role earned her numerous awards, including an Emmy , and helped cement her image as a powerful actress with a distinctive aristocratic style.
A British critic once praised: “Maggie Smith possesses a charisma that makes the audience follow her closely, is quiet but full of emotion, full of humor and deep sympathy.
Although some have commented that her performance style, with its strong hand gestures and hurried speech, sometimes overwhelms the content, no one can deny her captivating stage energy.
It can be said that Maggie Smith has left a huge legacy not only in the British entertainment industry but also in the history of global cinema and television.
Margaret Smith was born on December 28, 1934 in Ilford, Essex, England. She began her acting career at a very young age and quickly made her mark with her versatile talent and sharp acting style.
Throughout her career, the actress has won 2 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes , 7 BAFTAs and has been nominated dozens of times for these prestigious awards.
When she first started her career, Maggie Smith’s beauty was always a hot topic in showbiz. She was married twice, had two children and two grandchildren.
