Get the latest gossip
Maggie Smith, Star of ‘Downton Abbey,’ ‘Harry Potter,’ Dies at 89
Iconic British actress Maggie Smith — known globally for her roles in 'Harry Potter' and 'Downton Abbey' — has died at the age of 89
A British reviewer once credited her with the “power to make you look and listen all the time, laconic and nervous, super in comedy, touching in pathos, a gem of an actress.” Even her detractors, who complained that her mannerisms — perpetually protruding elbows, flying hands, triple takes, swooping vocal inflections — marred some of her performances (particularly in long-running plays) could not dispute the impact of her theatrical energy. For the National Theater, she racked up such productions as “The Recruiting Officer,” “The Master Builder,” a triumphant “Hay Fever,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Miss Julie,” “Black Comedy,” “A Bond Honoured” and an Ingmar Bergman-directed “Hedda Gabler,” which brought her another Evening Standard Award in 1970. In the 2000s, Smith made a solid impact in mainstream features with supporting roles in “Gosford Park,” “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” “Becoming Jane,” “Keeping Mum” and “Nanny McPhee Returns.” She was introduced to the masses of J.K. Rowling fans when she played Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” movie series.
Or read this on Variety
