Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, professionally recognized as Maggie Smith is majorly recognized for her role as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies. The franchise was one of the biggest projects for the actress; she was recommended by J. K. Rowling, who wrote all the novels in the franchise.
Born on 28 December 1934, Maggie Smith started her career in 1952, at the age of 17 being featured in various theatre projects like Twelfth Night at the Oxford Playhouse, Cinderella, and Rookery Nook, among many others. Among the various honors that Maggie Smith has received, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1970 and later promoted to Dame Commander (DBE) in 1990. She was also appointed as a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour back in 2014. Maggie Smith passed away on 27 September 2024 at the age of 89.
Maggie Smith’s Most Famous Role
Among the various roles that we have seen Maggie Smith play in her 56-year career, the most famous one would be her role as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise. Her first appearance in the franchise was seen during her interaction with Richard Harris at the opening scene of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Her final appearance in the series was during the battle at Hogwarts in the movie “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part-2” using the spell “Piertotum Locomotor”, to protect Hogwarts.
Related: When Did Maggie Smith Pass Away?
Maggie Smith’s Movies
Over the years, Maggie Smith has been seen in various Hollywood movies. From her first movie “Child in the House” back in 1956 to her last movie “The Miracle Club” in 2023, the below table specifies all her movies and the roles she played in them.
| Sr no | Movie Names | Roles | Year released |
| 1 | Child in the House | Party Guest | 1956 |
| 2 | Nowhere to Go | Bridget Howard | 1958 |
| 3 | Go to Blazes | Chantal | 1962 |
| 4 | The V.I.P.s | Miss Mead | 1963 |
| 5 | The Pumpkin Eater | Philpot | 1964 |
| 6 | Young Cassidy | Nora | 1965 |
| 7 | Othello | Desdemona | 1965 |
| 8 | The Honey Pot | Sarah Watkins | 1967 |
| 9 | Hot Millions | Patty Terwilliger Smith | 1968 |
| 10 | The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie | Jean Brodie | 1969 |
| 11 | Oh! What a Lovely War | Music Hall Star | 1969 |
| 12 | Travels with My Aunt | Aunt Augusta Bertram | 1972 |
| 13 | Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing | Lila Fisher | 1973 |
| 14 | Murder by Death | Dora Charleston | 1976 |
| 15 | Death on the Nile | Miss Bowers | 1978 |
| 16 | California Suite | Diana Barrie | 1978 |
| 17 | Quartet | Lois Heidler | 1981 |
| 18 | Clash of the Titans | Thetis | 1981 |
| 19 | Evil Under the Sun | Daphne Castle | 1982 |
| 20 | The Missionary | Lady Isabel Ames | 1982 |
| 21 | Better Late Than Never | Miss Anderson | 1983 |
| 22 | Lily in Love | Lily Wynn | 1984 |
| 23 | A Private Function | Joyce Chilvers | 1984 |
| 24 | A Room with a View | Charlotte Bartlett | 1985 |
| 25 | The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne | Judith Hearne | 1987 |
| 26 | Romeo.Juliet | Rosaline | 1990 |
| 27 | Hook | Wendy Darling | 1991 |
| 28 | Sister Act | Mother Superior | 1992 |
| 29 | The Secret Garden | Mrs. Medlock | 1993 |
| 30 | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Mother Superior | 1993 |
| 31 | Richard III | Cecily Neville | 1995 |
| 32 | The First Wives Club | Gunilla Garson Goldberg | 1996 |
| 33 | Washington Square | Aunt Lavinia Penniman | 1997 |
| 34 | Curtain Call | Lily Marlowe | 1999 |
| 35 | Tea with Mussolini | Lady Hester Random | 1999 |
| 36 | The Last September | Lady Myra Naylor | 1999 |
| 37 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Minerva McGonagall | 2001 |
| 38 | Gosford Park | Constance Trentham | 2001 |
| 39 | Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood | Caro Eliza Bennett | 2002 |
| 40 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Minerva McGonagall | 2002 |
| 41 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | 2004 | |
| 42 | Ladies in Lavender | Janet Widdington | 2004 |
| 43 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Minerva McGonagall | 2005 |
| 44 | Keeping Mum | Grace Hawkins | 2005 |
| 45 | Becoming Jane | Lady Gresham | 2007 |
| 46 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Minerva McGonagall | 2007 |
| 47 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | 2009 | |
| 48 | From Time to Time | Linnet Oldknow | 2009 |
| 49 | Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang | Agatha Docherty | 2010 |
| 50 | Gnomeo & Juliet | Lady Blueberry | 2011 |
| 51 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | Minerva McGonagall | 2011 |
| 52 | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | Muriel Donnelly | 2012 |
| 53 | Quartet | Jean Horton | 2012 |
| 54 | My Old Lady | Mathilde Girard | 2014 |
| 55 | The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | Muriel Donnelly | 2015 |
| 56 | The Lady in the Van | Miss Shepherd | 2015 |
| 57 | Sherlock Gnomes | Lady Bluebury | 2018 |
| 58 | Nothing Like a Dame | Herself | 2018 |
| 59 | Downton Abbey | Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham | 2019 |
| 60 | A Boy Called Christmas | Aunt Ruth | 2021 |
| 61 | Downton Abbey: A New Era | Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham | 2022 |
| 62 | The Miracle Club | Lily Fox | 2023 |
Maggie Smith’s Awards and Accolades
Throughout her long career, Maggie Smith has been honored with various awards and accolades. She has earned a total of two Academy Awards, four Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. With these awards, Smith was recognized to be one of the few actors in the industry to have earned the Triple Crown of Acting. Apart from the above-mentioned awards, the actress is also honored with 3 Golden Globe Awards and 5 BAFTA Awards in her career.
FAQ's On Maggie Smith
A. Maggie Smith was born on December 28, 1934.
A. Maggie Smith was born in the city of Ilford, Essex, England.
A. Maggie Smith passed away at the age of 89 on September 27, 2024.
A. Yes, Maggie Smith leaves behind two kids. They go by the names Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens.
