 |
Maggie SmithAdd to My CelebsAge 77 Birthday Dec. 28th, 1934 Born in Ilford, Essex, England, UK Height 5' 5 |
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB
One of the world's most famous and distinguished actress, Dame Maggie Smith, born as Margaret Natalie Smith, was born on the 29th of December in 1934 in Essex. Her father was a teacher at Oxford University and her mother worked as a secretary. Smith has been married twice; first with actor Robert Stephens (I) and then with playwright Beverley Cross. Her marriage with Stephens ended in 1974 on divorce and the marriage between her and Cross was finished in 1999, when he died. With Stephens Smith has two sons, Chris and Toby, who are also actors.
Maggie Smith's career began at the Oxford Playhouse in the 50s. She made her film debut in 1956 as one of the party guests in a movie called Child in the House (1956). After that she has been acting with the most prominent actors and actresses in the world in over sixty films and TV-series, which include Othello (1965) with Laurence Olivier, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), California Suite (1978) with Michael Caine (I) and Jane Fonda, A Room with a View (1985), Richard III (1995) with Ian McKellen and Jim Broadbent, Franco Zeffirelli's Tea with Mussolini (1999) with Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Cher (I) and Gosford Park (2001) with Kristin Scott Thomas and Clive Owen, directed by Robert Altman (I). Maggie Smith has also been nominated for an Oscar six times and won twice, for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978).
Lately Maggie Smith has appeared in very popular Harry Potter movie series as formidable Professor McGonagall. She has also been in the headlines presently because of her breast cancer, but now she has been reported to be recovering from that and soon continuing to film last two Harry Potters and Julian Fellowes' film From Time to Time (2009) with Timothy Spall, Anne Reid and Hugh Bonneville.
TRIVIA:
- Educated at the High School for Girls in Oxford, she started out in the theater as a prompt girl and understudy at the Oxford Repertory. She claims she never went on as no one ever fell ill.
- Her father Nathaniel was a Geordie and a pathologist. Her mother Margaret was a Glaswegian and a secretary.
- Has been in three movies that has the word "secret" in it: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Secret Garden, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
- Is a patron of the Jane Austen Society.
- She ranked tenth in the 2001 Orange Film Survey of greatest British film actresses.
- Is a vice-president of Chichester Cinema at New Park. 'Anita Roddick' (qv) and 'Kenneth Branagh' (qv) are also vice-presidents.
- Was a member of the Old Vic Company from 1959 to 1963, when the company was dissolved. It served as the basis for the new National Theatre being organized by Sir Laurence Olivier, whom invited Maggie to join. She gave a memorable performance as Desdemona opposite Olivier's Othello at The National Theatre's temporary home at the Old Vic theater building in 1964. Repeating the performance in the 1965 film made of that production, she won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination, her first of six Oscar nods.
- She was awarded the 1984 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Way of the World.
Maggie Smith Photos | powered by  |
| Loading... |
