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Maggie Smith

Birth Place: Ilford, Essex, ENGLAND

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Maggie Smith BIO

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.

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, and starred as Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, on Downton Abbey (2010–2015), for which she won three Emmys, her first non-ensemble Screen Actors Guild Award, and her third Golden Globe. Her honorary film awards include the BAFTA Special Award in 1993 and the BAFTA Fellowship in 1996. She received the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Legacy Award in 2012, and the Bodley Medal by the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries in 2016

Maggie Smith Photos

Maggie Smith STAGE CREDITS

[West End]
London Production at Bridge Theatre, 2019
Brunhilde Pomsel

[Broadway]
1990
Lettice Douffet

[Broadway]
1979
Ruth Carson

[Broadway]
1975
Amanda Prynne

[West End]
Original London Production, 1957
Performer

[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


Maggie Smith Awards and Nominations

Olivier Awards - 2000 - Best Actress

Maggie SmithThe Lady In The Van

Olivier Awards - 1998 - Best Actress

Maggie SmithA Delicate Balance

Olivier Awards - 1994 - Best Comedy Performance

Maggie SmithThe Importance Of Being Earnest

Olivier Awards - 1987 - Actress of the Year

Maggie SmithLettice And Lovage

Maggie Smith Videos

Maggie Smith News


Review: PRIVATE LIVES, Ambassadors Theatre

A still very debonair Nigel Havers as dashing Elyot, and Patricia Hodge, very much at the top of her game as sensational Amanda – aged 72 and 75 respectively – command the stage of the newly refurbished Ambassadors Theatre.

Westport Country Playhouse Presents I'LL DRINK TO THAT! A BROADWAY COCKTAIL HOUR On Friday, September 22

Westport Country Playhouse will present “I'll Drink to That! A Broadway Cocktail Hour,” on Friday, September 22, at 6 p.m., in the Playhouse courtyard and Lucille Lortel White Barn Center, adjacent to the theater.

Her Majesty's Theatre Celebrates 110 Year Anniversary

The iconic Her Majesty’s Theatre turns 110 today. To help celebrate one of Adelaide’s favourite supercentenarians, the theatre is  opening the doors to the public for a special exhibition and guided tours.

Stratford Festival Mourns The Loss Of Marti Maraden

Stratford Festival has shared news of the death of Marti Maraden, an artistic director, actor and director of rare skill, as well as a beloved colleague and mentor. She died Thursday, August 31, while visiting family in Sweden, having suddenly fallen ill. She was 78 years old. 

EDINBURGH 2023: Review: THE OXFORD REVUE WILL SEE YOU NOW, Just The Tonic at The Caves

The Oxford Revue, one of the most prestigious and well known student comedy groups in the UK, arguably rivaled only by The Cambridge Footlights when it comes to the alumni that has came from their hallowed halls, with the likes of Rowan Atkinson, Stewart Lee, Maggie Smith, Armando Iannucci and members of Monty Python being past members of the troupe. With such big boots to fill, one would expect an hour of tightly packed sketch comedy and laughs a-plenty. Unfortunately, audiences don't recieve much of either.

Her Majesty's Theatre Guided Tours Back By Popular Demand

Her Majesty's Theatre Guided Tours are back by popular demand. The public is invited to take an exclusive behind the scenes look at Her Majesty's Theatre as she looks to celebrate her 110th birthday in September with tour dates on sale now.  

'Master Of The House - The Theatres Of Cameron Mackintosh' Wins The Inaugural Architectural History Book Of The Year

'MASTER OF THE HOUSE – THE THEATRES OF CAMERON MACKINTOSH', by Michael Coveney with a foreword by Cameron Mackintosh has just won the inaugural Architectural History Book of the Year award in a ceremony at the Zaha Hadid Foundation in Clerkenwell on Wednesday 12 July 2023 as part of the World Architecture Festival.

Review: VANYA, SONIA, MASHA AND SPIKE Delivers Chekhovian Comedy at Its Best

What did our critic think of VANYA, SONIA, MASHA AND SPIKE at Crescent City Stage? The gloom and angst of Chekhovian characters provide funny fodder for Christopher Durang’s VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, now in production through the Crescent City Stage.

Maggie Siff, Pico Alexander & More to Star in ORPHEUS DESCENDING at TFANA

Theatre for a New Audience will present Tennessee Williams’ Orpheus Descending, July 9–August 6 at Polonsky Shakespeare Center. See who is starring, and learn how to purchase tickets!

Photos: Broadway Toasts Release of 'I'll Drink to That!' Cocktail Book

We'd like to propose a toast! Broadway has always raised a glass to celebrate itself, both on-stage and off. I'll Drink to That!, by Laurence Maslon, is a celebration of theatrical tradition, a souvenir of magic moments on stage, and a practical guide to make one-of-a-kind craft cocktail recipes inspired by the best of Broadway. Check out photos from the release party here!

Zoe Colletti, Regan Aliyah, Andrew Liner Join PLEASE DON'T FEED THE CHILDREN

Zoe Colletti (Only Murders In The Building, Boo Bitch and Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark), Regan Aliyah (Marvel's Ironheart and Netflix's XO KITTY), and Andrew Liner ('Vampire Academy', 'Bang Bang', 'Gray Matter') join Michelle Dockery in Destry Allyn Spielberg's feature directorial debut, Please Don't Feed the Children as the film makes its Cannes World Market Debut via Altitude

Video: New Trailer Released For MAD ABOUT THE BOY �" THE NOËL COWARD STORY Documentary

To mark the 50th anniversary of Noël Coward's death, Altitude announces that Mad About The Boy - The Noël Coward Story, will be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 2 June 2023. The film will be narrated by Alan Cumming and with Rupert Everett as the voice of Noël Coward.

Laurence Maslon's New 'Cocktail Table' Book I'LL DRINK TO THAT to be Published This Month

I’ll Drink to That! is a celebration of theatrical tradition, a souvenir of magic moments on stage, and a practical guide to make one-of-a-kind craft cocktail recipes inspired by the best of Broadway.

Tom Marshman Presents A SHINING INTIMACY At Camden People's Theatre​​​​​​​, May 18-20

A SHINING INTIMACY is a show about theatre, queer friendships and grief. In this intimate piece, Tom Marshman explores the bond between the late Kenneth Williams and his close friend Maggie Smith, as he revisits the closeness he shared with his dear friend, the late artist Clare Thornton. 

More Than 100 Writers from 27 Countries to be Featured in PEN America's 18th Annual World Voices Festival

On May 10-13, PEN America will present the 18th annual World Voices Festival, its largest gathering to date of literary stars, visionaries, and great thinkers from around the globe.

Meet the Cast of SUMMER, 1976; Beginning Previews Tonight!

Summer, 1976 officially begins previews tonight, April 4, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Meet the cast of Summer, 1976 here!

Documentary MAD ABOUT THE BOY �" THE NOËL COWARD STORY to be Released in UK & Ireland in June

To mark the 50th anniversary of Noël Coward’s death, Altitude announces that Mad About The Boy – The Noël Coward Story, will be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 2 June 2023. The film will be narrated by Alan Cumming and with Rupert Everett as the voice of Noël Coward.

Honey West to Host NEW FACES SING BROADWAY 1984 at Porchlight Music Theatre

Porchlight Music Theatre will present New Faces Sing Broadway 1984, hosted by Honey West, directed by Tommy Novak with music direction and arrangements by Micky York.

World Premiere Musical ON CEDAR STREET & More Set for Berkshire Theatre Group 2023 Summer Season

Berkshire Theatre Group has announced BTG’s Full 2023 Summer Season, plus select casting. See details about the productions, and how to purchase tickets!

Cindy Williams, Stage Actor and LAVERNE & SHIRLEY Star, Passes Away At 75

Cindy Williams, a star of stage and screen and one half of the iconic duo, 'Laverne & Shirley' has passed away at the age of 75. 

Maggie Smith 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 .

Theatre Icon Award (Evening Standard Awards) for , Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for Three Tall Women, 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, 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 Earand Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Public Eye.

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