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Maggie Smith

Birth Place: Ilford, Essex, ENGLAND

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BIO

Dame Margaret Natalie Smith CH DBE (28 December 1934 – 27 September 2024) was a British actress known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles. She had an extensive career on stage and screen for over seven decades and was one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses. She received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for six Olivier Awards. Smith is one of the few performers to earn the Triple Crown of Acting.



Smith began her stage career as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional debut on Broadway in New Faces of '56. Over the following decades Smith established herself alongside Judi Dench as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. On Broadway, she received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage (1990). She was Tony-nominated for Noël Coward's Private Lives (1975) and Tom Stoppard's Night and Day (1979).

Smith won Academy Awards for Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978). She was Oscar-nominated for Othello (1965), Travels with My Aunt (1972), A Room with a View (1985) and Gosford Park (2001). She portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). She also acted in Death on the Nile (1978), Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), Quartet (2012) and The Lady in the Van (2015).

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; she had previously won one for the HBO film My House in Umbria (2003). Over the course of her career she was 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.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

A German Life A German Life
[West End]
London Production at Bridge Theatre, 2019
Brunhilde Pomsel
Lettice and Lovage
[Broadway]
1990
Lettice Douffet
Night and Day
[Broadway]
1979
Ruth Carson
Private Lives
[Broadway]
1975
Amanda Prynne
Share My Lettuce
[West End]
Original London Production, 1957
Performer
New Faces of 1956
[Broadway]
1956
France
Harem Houris
Harriet
Introduction to "A Canful of Trash"
Introduction to "The Broken Kimona"
Introduction to "The Pioneer"
Performer
Miss Orange
Nurse
Pura
Steffany
Tourist
Woman

Awards and Nominations


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 2013 - Theatre Icon Award

Maggie Smith

Olivier Awards - 2000 - Best Actress

Maggie SmithThe Lady In The Van

Olivier Awards - 1998 - Best Actress

Maggie SmithA Delicate Balance


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 1994 - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress

Maggie Smith Three Tall Women

Olivier Awards - 1994 - Best Comedy Performance

Maggie SmithThe Importance Of Being Earnest


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1990 - Best Actress - Play

Maggie SmithLettice & Lovage


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1990 - Best Actress - Play

Maggie Smith, Lettice and Lovage


winner
Tony Awards - 1990 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Maggie Smith, Lettice and Lovage

Olivier Awards - 1987 - Actress of the Year

Maggie SmithLettice And Lovage

Olivier Awards - 1985 - Comedy Performance of the Year

Maggie SmithThe Way Of The World


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 1984 - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress

Maggie SmithThe Way of the World


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 1981 - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress

Maggie SmithVirginia

Olivier Awards - 1981 - Actress of the Year in a New Play

Maggie SmithVirginia

Tony Awards - 1980 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Maggie Smith, Night and Day

Drama Desk Awards - 1975 - Outstanding Actress - Play

Maggie Smith, Private Lives


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1975 - Best Performance

Maggie Smith, Private Lives

Tony Awards - 1975 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Maggie Smith , Private Lives


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 1970 - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress

Maggie SmithHedda Gabler


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 1962 - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress

Maggie SmithThe Private Ear


winner
Evening Standard Awards - 1962 - Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress

Maggie SmithThe Public Eye

Videos

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News


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SHIRLEY VALENTINE Star Pauline Collins Passes Away at 85 Photo
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Review: VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE at Cygnet Theatre
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Steven Spielberg's HOOK in Concert Premieres at Eventim Apollo
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by Josh Sharpe - Sep 11, 2025

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Interview: Theatre Life with Robert Sella Photo
Interview: Theatre Life with Robert Sella
by Elliot Lanes - Aug 20, 2025

Today's subject Robert Sella is currently living his theatre life onstage at Round House Theatre as he prepares to begin performances of Matthew López's epic play The Inheritance. The show is performed in two parts and will begin performances on August 27th running through October 19th.
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Review: THE CONSTANT WIFE, Starring Rose Leslie
by Cheryl Markosky - Jul 7, 2025

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by A.A. Cristi - Jun 24, 2025

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Review: VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE Photo
Review: VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
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.
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PRIVATE LIVES by Noël Coward is Coming to Broadway in 2026-2027
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 24, 2025

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Babes With Blades Theatre Company to Present New Works Festival FIGHTING WORDS Photo
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by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 17, 2025

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by A.A. Cristi - Jan 25, 2025

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by Brett Cullum - Nov 29, 2024

I feel like this company, at this point in time, is simply happy to be here doing this show, and I can say the feeling is infectious. It’s not your typical holiday offering, but you can never be wrong with the wit of Christopher Durang and the magic of invoking the spirit of Maggie Smith. I’m thankful this season for companies like 4th WALL, which produce plays that offer the joy of what theater is all about.
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Review Roundup: DEATH BECOMES HER Opens On Broadway
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 22, 2024

DEATH BECOMES HER comes to life on Broadway tonight as it celebrates its opening at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in a production starring Tony Award nominees Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber, and Grammy Award winner Michelle Williams. Did the critics fall under the spell of Broadway's most glamourous new musical? Find out below!
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Maggie Smith been in?

Maggie Smith has appeared on Broadway in 4 shows.

How many West End shows has Maggie Smith been in?

Maggie Smith has appeared on London's West End in 2 shows.

What was Maggie Smith's first West End show?

Maggie Smith's first West End show was Share My Lettuce which opened in 1957

What awards has Maggie Smith been nominated for?

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.

What awards has Maggie Smith won?

Maggie Smith has won several prestigious awards throughout her career. She received the Theatre Icon Award from the Evening Standard Awards and the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress at the Evening Standard Awards for multiple performances, including Three Tall Women, The Way of the World, Virginia, Hedda Gabler, The Private Ear, and The Public Eye. She won Best Actress - Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Lettice & Lovage. Additionally, she earned the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for Lettice and Lovage and the Best Performance from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Private Lives.

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