Maggie Smith: Mistress of Waspishness on Stage and Screen

LONDON – Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away on Friday at the age of 89, was a perfectionist who transformed her anxiety into a remarkable art form and was celebrated as one of the finest actors in both stage and screen history.

Among the select few to secure an Oscar (twice), Emmy (four times), and Tony Award, Smith seamlessly transitioned between Shakespearean and Oscar Wilde performances on stage, as well as roles in the "Harry Potter" film series and the acclaimed television show "Downton Abbey."

However, the British actress shunned introspection about her craft and fiercely protected her privacy, avoiding the typical luxuries of fame. "I wish I could just go into Harrods and order a personality. It would make life so much easier,” she once remarked.

Perhaps her worries about a perceived lack of personality drove her to embrace such a diverse array of characters. Her first Oscar nomination came in 1965 for her portrayal of Desdemona alongside Laurence Olivier in "Othello," followed by her first Academy Award win in 1969 for her role as a schoolmistress in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie." She received her second Oscar for her supporting role in the 1978 comedy "California Suite," where she starred opposite Michael Caine.

Smith’s integral roles spanned various acclaimed performances, including Lady Bracknell in Wilde’s "The Importance of Being Earnest," a 92-year-old grappling with senility in Edward Albee’s "Three Tall Women," and a part in the 2001 dark comedy "Gosford Park."

In recent years, she was best recognized as Professor McGonagall in all seven "Harry Potter" films and as the Dowager Countess in "Downton Abbey," a role that suited her talent for dry humor and sharp wit.

Margaret Natalie Smith was born on December 28, 1934, in Essex, northeast of London. After her family relocated to Oxford when she was young, she began acting in local theater at the age of 17. Her breakthrough came in 1956 with the show "New Faces" on Broadway. A role in the 1958 British crime film "Nowhere to Go" earned her a BAFTA nomination.

The subsequent years were filled with numerous celebrated roles in films such as "Travels with My Aunt," "A Room with a View," and "The Secret Garden," as well as notable stage performances in "Lettice and Lovage" and "Virginia," and television roles like "David Copperfield" and "My House in Umbria."

Critic Irving Wardle praised her remarkable ability to transition from a wide, inviting smile to a fierce expression, a talent she utilized effectively in "Downton Abbey." For many fans, her sharp portrayal in the historical drama, which aired from 2010 to 2015, became a highlight of the series, earning her multiple accolades while complicating her desire for a quiet life.

"I led a perfectly normal life until ‘Downton Abbey.’ I’m not kidding. I’d go to theatres, galleries, things like that, on my own. And now I can’t, and that’s awful," she reflected during a 2017 appearance at the BFI Radio Times festival.

Smith was known for her high standards for herself and others. Director Peter Hall, who worked with her extensively, noted, "She nags herself into perfection."

She endured a tumultuous eight-year marriage to actor Robert Stephens, which ended while they were both performing in Noel Coward’s "Private Lives." The couple had two sons, actors Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin. Smith later married her teenage sweetheart, writer Beverley Cross, who remained a source of stability for her until his passing in 1998.

In 1990, Queen Elizabeth honored Smith with a knighthood, elevating her to the status of Dame.