This weekend started with a somber note with the passing of Dame Maggie Smith last Friday, who died at the age of 89. It’s disheartening that I’m doing another tribute post after we lost the great James Earl Jones earlier this month, but I simply had to do a tribute to one of my favorite British dames whom I admire dearly.
There’s such regalness about Maggie Smith that she might as well have been borne a Dame, but she was honored with that royal title by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990. Dame Maggie began her journey on stage, much like many British thespians of her era. She starred in leading roles in plays by Shaw, Ibsen, Stoppard, and Shakespeare, both on stage and in films, including her portrayal of Desdemona alongside Sir Laurence Olivier in the film Othello.
Dame Maggie sounds as witty and forthright in real life as she is on screen, I mean just listen to Sir Ian McKellen’s anecdote about the time he bumped into her at the 2003 Oscars:
I’ve replayed this clip more times than I could count!
On a more serious note, I’ve been a fan of hers since I saw her in A Room with a View (1985) as Lucy’s chaperone, played by Helena Bonham Carter. I still need to see her in California Suite where she won her second Oscar in Best Supporting Roles. So here are 10 of my favorite roles (on TV and in Films) in random order, as you really can’t rank her phenomenal performances:
Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey
Nobody on TV has more memorable quips than Dame Maggie’s Violet who makes each one-liner iconic with her inimitable delivery. I can’t pick a favorite, but thanks to the official YouTube channel for Downton Abbey, we don’t have to!
Miss Jean Brodie – The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Before she played a professor in Harry Potter, Dame Maggie played a charismatic school teacher and won her first Oscar for the role. Love her Scottish accent here, I could listen to her forever!
Muriel Donnelly – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
This is a film I could watch repeatedly because of the stellar British cast. Dame Maggie’s character started out as unsympathetic and perhaps even unkind, but she came around in the end.
The Mother Superior in Sister Act
I remember laughing so hard watching this movie ages ago. The moment Dame Maggie said ‘I lied’ is a hoot!
Professor Minerva McGonagall – Harry Potter films
There are SO MANY outstanding British acting royalty in the Harry Potter franchise my head is spinning! My favorite is of course Prof. Snape, with Minerva a close second (I hope these two acting legends are enjoying tea together somewhere in the afterlife). Minerva can be stern one moment and giddy like a schoolgirl the next, as she did in this scene.
Constance Trentham – Gosford Park
Julian Fellowes won Best Screenplay Oscar for this film, and apparently, Downton Abbey was supposed to be a spin-off to this Robert Altman satirical black comedy. Well, it’s no surprise that Fellowes cast Dame Maggie as another snobbish aristocrat as nobody can do pompous royal arrogance quite like her.
Janet – Ladies in Lavender
In case you think Dame Maggie can only play aristocrats, she plays a commoner just as convincingly here along with her friend and fellow British acting royalty, Dame Judi Dench. This is such a lovely little movie, and look at young Danieh Brühl!
Jean Horton – Quartet
Dame Maggie’s Jean is the most fleshed-out character here. She grapples with her pride and some past hurts, all while trying to reconcile with a former flame, played by Tom Courtenay. This is one of the highlights of the so-so film, she’s classy even when she swears! She reunites with her Harry Potter co-star Michael Gambon who played Albus Dumbledore. He’s not in this particular scene but you could see him in the background.
Charlotte Bartlett – Room With A View
It’s been ages since I saw this film, it’s definitely time for a rewatch soon! There’s nothing more delightful than watching the two Dames: Dame Maggie and Dame Judi Dench sparring with each other. This Merchan Ivory classic is the first of many collaborations between them. I find their conversation almost as titillating as the romance between Helena Bonham Carter’s Lucy and George (the late Julian Sands)
Lady Gresham – Becoming Jane
“I’m always in corsets,’ Dame Maggie once said in an interview. Well, she’s not joking! She starred in yet another costume drama, this time in a film that focuses on the life of Jane Austen, played by Anne Hathaway. She took on the role of a local matriarch with a strong, controlling presence, determined that her nephew, Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox), would marry Jane, even though she comes from a poor background.
Interestingly, Dame Judi played a similar character as a snooty relative of Mr. Darcy, Lady Catherine deBourgh in Austen’s adaptation of Pride & Prejudice.
Thank you Dame Maggie for all your outstanding performances.
Your legacy shall live on forever.
What are YOUR favorite performance(s) of Dame Maggie?
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A giant of cinema that will never be duplicated. Truly one of the greatest that ever lived. I first saw her in Hook as she was good in it although it’s a film that didn’t age well for me as I got older though it’s not Spielberg’s worst film. Then I would watch different thing she’s done over the years as she is perfect as Professor McGonnagal as I would’ve loved for her and Imelda Staunton as Umbridge to have their own little witches’ duel. McGonnagal LOATHED Umbridge almost as Harry Potter did in the books. This has been rough a weekend right now. John Astin just died as you probably know him as Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop films and just now, Kris Kristofferson. These passings are making me sad.
Wow, I totally forgot she was in HOOK but it’s not a film I think of ondly.
Yeah, Dame Maggie and Imelda Staunton are great together in the HP movies, there are just so many phenomenal actors in that franchise.
It’s been a rough weekend indeed… I did read news about Astin and Kristofferson’s passing, well, thankfully we’ll always have their films to remember them by.
And today, Dikembe Motumbo and Pete Rose.
I just saw on the news an hour ago John Amos just passed away as well… oh man!!
It’s a sad day but when I think of some of my favourite scenes of Maggie Smith and her biting wit and killer delivery, I can’t help but smile. We will miss you Dame Maggie.
Biting wit and killer delivery are what make her indispensable! I love all the compilation of her lines in Downton Abbey… she was given the best lines and she did not waste them!
I think the first movie that I saw her in was Spielberg’s Hook then the Harry Potter series. She starred mostly in period dramas that I’m not into. But may she rest in peace.
Yeah she had done a ton of period pieces, but The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Sister Act were contemporary comedies and she’s terrific in those as well.
This is a lovely tribute to Maggie, Ruth.
I adore her work. I’ve seen most of the movies herein, with Miss Jean Brodie being my fave. I’d say Miss Jean Brodie is in my top 40 movies, ever.
Another fave from Maggie is A Private Function. I also really like The lonely Passion of Judith Hearne.
Thank you for the tribute, Ruth! Much appreciated.
Hello darling Resa!! I knew you’d be familiar with Dame Maggie’s earlier work. I still need to see A Private Function and The lonely Passion of Judith Hearne. She really was one of a kind. I also adore her son Toby Stephens who’s also a fantastic actor!
Ahh, I’ll check Toby out on the IMDB.
Private Function is black humour at its finest!
Maggie Smith was special!
I also imagine her and Alan Rickman and the other HP cast members who have left us, enjoying tea together in the afterlife. Make it a feast!
As soon as I wrote about Rickman and Dame Maggie having afternoon tea, it made me smile. I’d think they could have a Harry Potter reunion somewhere in the afterlife, along with Michael Gambon and Robbie Coltrane.
A beautiful tribute to an iconic actress. I adored Maggie Smith and was shocked when I learned she had passed away. I was first introduced towards Smith in the Harry Potter series. I grew up seeing the Harry Potter movies which played a role in shaping my identity. Smith was truly extraordinary in all 7 films but I loved her performance in “The Philosopher’s Stone” the most. She did such a great job of bringing the iconic book character to life on the big-screen. Besides Harry Potter, Smith also made other films like “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” which are definitely worth seeing.
Recently, I had a chance to make a list of my favourite Maggie Smith movies. I had a feeling you would be interested in this list. Here’s my tribute to the legendary actress:
Hey sorry I missed your comment, Hassan! What a fantastic list you put together on Dame Maggie’s best films… I still need to see California Suite!
I think the young generations like you know her through Harry Potter, but she has had an outstanding career before that and have even won 2 Oscars at that point.
I LOVE The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel, the cast are truly outstanding… esp. Dame Maggie and Judi Dench!
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