Bio
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE, better known as Maggie Smith, was an English actress who has won numerous awards for acting, both for the stage and for film, including six BAFTA Awards (including the Bafta Fellowship in 1996) two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, two Emmy Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, two SAG Awards and a Tony Award.
She was one of only a handful of actresses who have won the so-called "Triple Crown": an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony award, representing outstanding achievement in film, television and stage acting.
Her critically acclaimed films include Othello (1965), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), California Suite (1978), Clash of the Titans (1981), A Room with a View (1985) and Gosford Park (2001).
She also appeared in a number of widely-popular films, including Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992) and as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series.
She also starred in the critically-acclaimed period drama Downton Abbey as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, for which she won an Emmy.
With no history of acting in the family, Smith enrolled in drama school at age 16. Following performances in student revues and in cabaret, she joined London's Old Vic Theater alongside Laurence Olivier before moving on to London's National Theatre.
Smith died on 27 September, 2024. She was 89.