Maggie Smith was born on December 28, 1934 in London, and had a long and successful career in film and television as well as theater and musicals. She was knighted in 1990 with the title of Dame Maggie Smith and was often voted one of Britain’s most popular actors.
In recent years, she has been known, among other things, for the role of the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley, in Downton Abbey (2010–2015).
She also played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films (2001–2011).
Started on the theater stage
Maggie Smith’s stage debut as Viola in William Shakespeare’s Epiphany took place as early as 1952 at the Oxford Playhouse. Since then she has performed in countless plays in England and the United States. First film role was in 1958 in Nowhere to Go and since then she has become internationally known for her expressive supporting roles, often playing eccentric British ladies. She herself has said in interviews that her big breakthrough came with Downton Abbey.
Maggie Smith was 89 years old.
