Maggie Smith
Birth Place: Ilford, Essex, ENGLAND
Review: BLACK COMEDY, Orange Tree Theatre (May 28, 2026)
English Theatre Utrecht to Present HEDDA GABLER in Utrecht and Amsterdam (May 14, 2026)
4000 MILES, PRIVATE LIVES, and More Set For Scripps Ranch Theatre's Season 47 (Apr 27, 2026)
BIO
Perhaps best known for her screen roles in the Harry Potter film series and Downton Abbey, Smith also had several stage credits to her name, and won a Tony Award in 1990.
Smith began her career on stage as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional debut on Broadway in New Faces of '56. For her work on the London stage, she has won a record six Best Actress Evening Standard Awards for The Private Ear and The Public Eye (both 1962), Hedda Gabler (1970), Virginia (1981), The Way of the World (1984), Three Tall Women (1994), and A German Life (2019). She received Tony Award nominations for Private Lives (1975) and Night and Day (1979), before winning the 1990 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage.
She appeared in Stratford Shakespeare Festival productions of Antony and Cleopatra (1976) and Macbeth (1978), and West End productions of A Delicate Balance (1997) and The Breath of Life (2002). She received the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2010. Additionally, Smith appeared as part of four seasons at the Stratford Festival in Ontario between 1976 and 1980, performing in The Way of the World, Antony and Cleopatra, Checkhov’s Three Sisters, The Guardsman, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, and Richard III. Watch some of her onstage roles.
On screen, Smith first drew praise for the crime film Nowhere to Go (1958), for which she received her first nomination for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award. She has won two Academy Awards, winning Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978). She is one of only seven actresses to have won in both categories. She has won a record four BAFTA Awards for Best Actress, including for A Private Function (1984) and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1988), a BAFTA Best Supporting Actress for Tea with Mussolini (1999), and three Golden Globe Awards. She received four other Oscar nominations for Othello (1965), Travels with My Aunt (1972), A Room with a View (1986), and Gosford Park (2001).
Smith played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). Her other films include Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973), Death on the Nile (1978), Clash of the Titans (1981), Evil Under the Sun (1982), Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), The Secret Garden (1993), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), and The Lady in the Van (2015). She won an Emmy Award in 2003 for My House in Umbria, to become one of the few actresses to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting.
Smith received newfound attention and international fame for her role as Violet Crawley in the British period drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015). The role earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards. Over the course of her career she has been the recipient of numerous honorary awards including the British Film Institute Fellowship in 1993, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1996, and the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2010. Smith was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990.
She died in September 2024 at age 89.
Photos
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STAGE CREDITS
Awards and Nominations
winner
Maggie Smith
Maggie SmithThe Lady In The Van
Maggie SmithA Delicate Balance
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Maggie Smith Three Tall Women
Maggie SmithThe Importance Of Being Earnest
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Maggie SmithLettice & Lovage
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Maggie Smith, Lettice and Lovage
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Maggie Smith, Lettice and Lovage
Maggie SmithLettice And Lovage
Maggie SmithThe Way Of The World
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Maggie SmithThe Way of the World
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Maggie SmithVirginia
Maggie SmithVirginia
Maggie Smith, Night and Day
Maggie Smith, Private Lives
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Maggie Smith, Private Lives
Maggie Smith , Private Lives
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Maggie SmithHedda Gabler
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Maggie SmithThe Private Ear
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Maggie SmithThe Public Eye
Videos
Video: Dame Maggie Smith Discusses Career with Kathleen Turner in Final Recorded Interview
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-10-05 09:09:06
VIDEO: Maggie Smith and Imelda Stanton Reunite in Clip from the DOWNTON ABBEY Film
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-08-30 10:08:31
VIDEO: Watch a Sneak Peek of the DOWNTON ABBEY Film in New Featurette
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-08-20 14:12:40
VIDEO: The Crawley Family Returns in the DOWNTON ABBEY Film Teaser
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2018-12-14 12:33:33
VIDEO: Watch the Trailer for TEA WITH THE DAMES Starring Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, and Joan Plowright
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2018-08-28 11:10:34
VIDEO: Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy & Marc Shaiman Celebrate SISTER ACT's 25th Anniversary on THE VIEW
by Caryn Robbins - 2017-09-15 13:10:15
VIDEO: Watch 'Lost' Footage of Dame Maggie Smith in Early Production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
by Caryn Robbins - 2016-10-05 10:32:49
VIDEO: THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW Now Available on iTunes; New Trailer!
by TV News Desk - 2016-05-17 16:17:56
VIDEO: Maggie Smith, Soon To Make Her First British Chat Show Appearance in 42 Years, In a 1973 Chat Show Appearance
by Michael Dale - 2015-10-14 16:25:47
VIDEO: Kevin Kline Talks Israel Horovitz's MY OLD LADY on 'Today'
by Caryn Robbins - 2014-09-09 12:51:02
VIDEO: New Trailer for Israel Horovitz's MY OLD LADY, Starring Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline
by Movies News Desk - 2014-07-14 20:36:50
News
by Franco Milazzo - May 28, 2026
There is exactly one joke in Peter Shaffer's 1965 farce: when the lights come on, the characters are in the dark. Everything else — the borrowed furniture, the hapless sculptor, the stern colonel, the ex-girlfriend arriving at the worst possible moment — is just escalation.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 14, 2026
English Theatre Utrecht will present a 1950s-set production of Hedda Gabler in Utrecht and Amsterdam, featuring a double cast tackling one of theater's most complex female roles, previously played by Cate Blanchett and Dame Maggie Smith.
by Stephi Wild - Apr 27, 2026
Scripps Ranch Theatre announced its 47th season, with Artistic Director Jill Drexler marking 25 years leading the San Diego company. The lineup includes THEATRE PEOPLE OR THE ANGEL NEXT DOOR, 4000 MILES, and PRIVATE LIVES.
by Catherine Burford - Apr 12, 2026
What did our critic think of SISTER ACT at TPAC'S James K Polk Theater?
by Josh Sharpe - Mar 30, 2026
Richard Attenborough’s Oh! What a Lovely War, the 1969 anti-war movie musical, will be making its worldwide debut on Blu-ray in the UK, courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.
by Stephi Wild - Mar 23, 2026
West End theatres will dim their lights at 7pm on March 25 to honor the late Robert Fox, a distinguished producer, on his birthday. Learn more about Robert here!
by Zach Wetzel - Mar 22, 2026
This production is filled with sparkling wit and fantastic performances!
by Gillian Blum - Mar 21, 2026
Robert Fox, a producer on Broadway and West End shows, and the executive producer of Netflix's The Crown, died at 73, according to Deadline, and his collaborator Hugh Jackman paid tribute to him.
by David Green - Mar 15, 2026
Desert Theatricals brings the legendary Broadway musical Chicago to the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater for a limited three-night run, opening March 13. Packed with murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery — all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts — the Kander and Ebb classic remains as sharp and entertaining today as when it first premiered. Under the direction of Ray Limon, this stylish production embraces the show’s signature blend of vaudeville spectacle, biting satire, and sultry jazz.
by Stephi Wild - Mar 12, 2026
BBC Radio 4's The Archers will mark its 75th anniversary this summer with a major live stage tour and Fane Productions have announced which members of the Radio 4 cast will be appearing live on stage.
by Stephi Wild - Nov 14, 2025
In celebration of what would have been Kenneth Williams' 100th birthday on 22 February, 2026 David Benson revisits his classic performance in a new and revised version of the hit show.
by Josh Sharpe - Nov 6, 2025
BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that stage and screen actress Pauline Collins, who played the title role in the solo play Shirley Valentine, has passed away.
by ErinMarie Reiter - Oct 16, 2025
Christopher Durang’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is a riotous blend of sibling rivalry, absurdist farce, and Chekhovian melancholy. A laugh-out-loud farce with real heart, Director Anthony Methvin finds balance in the absurdity while still landing the emotional punches.
by Stephi Wild - Oct 7, 2025
Experience Steven Spielberg's beloved HOOK in Concert at London's Eventim Apollo on December 20, 2025, featuring John Williams' iconic score.
by Josh Sharpe - Sep 11, 2025
This Friday, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will debut in theaters. Ahead of its release, critics have shared their thoughts on the conclusion of the beloved franchise. Find out what the critics are saying in our roundup here!
by Cheryl Markosky - Jul 7, 2025
It's a bold move for the Royal Shakespeare Company to slip in a remake of W Somerset Maugham's 1920s lesser-known comedy about infidelity in amongst more serious offerings like King Lear and Timon of Athens.
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 23, 2025
Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC) 2025 season opens with an extended run of its new works festival, the Fighting Words Festival, September 6 – 14 at the Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N. Clark St, 2nd Floor.
by Lynn Beaver - Mar 26, 2025
Stage Austin presents the hysterical Christopher Durang comedy VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE from March 21st through April 8th at Sterling Stage Austin.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 24, 2025
A new production of PRIVATE LIVES by Noël Coward will be presented on Broadway in the 2026-2027 season. Learn more about PRIVATE LIVES and about the upcoming production.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 17, 2025
Babes With Blades Theatre Company's 2025 season will open with an extended run of its new works festival, collectively called Fighting Words. Learn more!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Maggie Smith has appeared on Broadway in 4 shows.
Maggie Smith has appeared on London's West End in 2 shows.
Maggie Smith's first West End show was Share My Lettuce which opened in 1957
Theatre Icon Award (Evening Standard Awards) for , Best Actress (Olivier Awards) for The Lady In The Van, Best Actress (Olivier Awards) for A Delicate Balance , Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for Three Tall Women, Best Comedy Performance (Olivier Awards) for The Importance Of Being Earnest, Best Actress - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Lettice & Lovage , Best Actress - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Lettice and Lovage, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Lettice and Lovage, Actress of the Year (Olivier Awards) for Lettice And Lovage, Comedy Performance of the Year (Olivier Awards) for The Way Of The World, Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Way of the World, Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for Virginia, Actress of the Year in a New Play (Olivier Awards) for Virginia, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Night and Day, Outstanding Actress - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Private Lives, Best Performance (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Private Lives, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Private Lives, Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for Hedda Gabler, Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Private Ear and Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Public Eye.
Maggie Smith has received numerous awards for her remarkable performances, including: - Theatre Icon Award (Evening Standard Awards) - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for Three Tall Women - Best Actress - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Lettice & Lovage - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Lettice and Lovage - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Way of the World - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for Virginia - Best Performance (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Private Lives - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for Hedda Gabler - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Private Ear - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Public Eye.
Videos
