Maggie Smith leaves behind a world that remembers her for the many roles she portrayed. From playing the head of Gryffindor house to depicting a nun, the late actress, who died at the age of 89, was part of numerous classic films. On Friday, September 27, her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, announced her passing. They released a statement to the Associated Press that read, “She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
Although the Oscar winner has passed, she will be remembered for her iconic roles and the projects she contributed to throughout her career. Hollywood Life has gathered a selection of films and TV shows she appeared in since beginning her career in the 1950s.
1950s
The Adventures of Aggie
She was part of the 1956 television series The Adventures of Aggie, which, according to IMDb, was about “the adventures of a fashion designer on international assignments.” In the show, she played the role of Fiona Frobisher-Smith in the episode titled “Cobalt Blue.”
Nowhere to Go
In the 1958 film Nowhere to Go, Maggie played the role of Bridget Howard. The film tells the story of “Paul Gregory (George Nader) is sprung from jail in London by his accomplice after getting a stretch as expected for robbing a woman who falls for his charms. Only he knows how to get to the money, but his partner is getting greedy, and as things turn sour, Gregory finds that home in Canada is a long way away,” according to IMDb.
1960s
Hot Millions
In 1968, Maggie starred in Hot Millions, playing the role of Patty Terwilliger-Smith. The film follows “Cockney con artist Marcus Pendleton (Sir Peter Ustinov), just out of prison, replaces an insurance company’s computer programmer and sends claim checks to himself in various guises at addresses all over Europe. Meanwhile, he falls in love with inept secretary and frustrated flutist, Patty Terwilliger Smith (Dame Maggie Smith),” per IMDb.
Play of the Month
Maggie starred as Ann Whitefield in the Play of the Month episode “Man and Superman” on BBC. According to IMDb, the show was a “Monthly anthology series featuring televised versions of plays.”
1970s
The Carol Burnett Show
Maggie guest-starred on The Carol Burnett Show for three episodes, appearing in a role in 1975. According to IMDb, one episode features “the Queen (Carol) attempts to christen a ship in honor of a hollow hero [Tim Conway] with his girlfriend (guest Maggie Smith) in attendance; ham actress Mundane (Carol) finds out about husband Funt’s [Harvey Korman] affair with another actress (Maggie) just as they’re about to go on stage; Vicki sings “The Other Woman”; a parody of “Jaws”; and a salute to Alan Jay Lerner.”
Death on the Nile
The mystery film Death on the Nile (1978) is “Based on the Dame Agatha Christie novel, our favorite Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot (Sir Peter Ustinov), is on a cruise up the Nile. He is surrounded by an interesting assortment of characters, including a wealthy heiress and her husband, on their honeymoon. It appears that everyone hates the heiress,” per IMDb. Maggie played the role of Miss Bowers.
1980s
All for Love
In 1983, she starred as Mrs. Silly in the TV show All for Love in the episode “Mrs. Silly.” The show is about an “Anthology of stories about love, many adapted from short stories or novels,” according to IMDb.
Lily in Love
Maggie played the lead role of Lily Wynn in Lily in Love, which tells the story of “Broadway star Fitzroy Wynn (Christopher Plummer) is thrilled when his wife Lily (Dame Maggie Smith) writes a new script with a brilliant lead role. While egocentric Fitz thinks himself perfect for the role, Lily dashes his hopes when she admits she wants to find someone different for the part. Fitz refuses to give up his pursuit. Enlisting the reluctant help of his agent, Fitz poses as Roberto Terranova, a young Italian actor and the exact model of what Lily wants for the role. But trouble arises when Lily appears to be falling for the charming Italian, and Fitz is left to wonder just how serious she was about finding someone different,” per IMDb.
1990s
Sister Act
In the ‘90s, Maggie starred in the Sister Act series—Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)—as Mother Superior. In these films, she stars alongside Whoopi Goldberg, who plays Deloris Wilson, and Kathy Najimy, who plays Mary Patrick. Mother Superior has a complicated relationship with Deloris, as “The clash between Deloris and the Mother Superior leads to the Mother Superior restricting Deloris to one task at the convent, one that leads to good and bad changes at St. Katherine’s, the bad most specifically in potentially leading Vince [played by Harvey Keitel] and his associates to Deloris. Those changes also bring the battle of wills between Deloris and Mother Superior to a head, unless each can see the positive in what is happening in relation to their life at the convent,” according to IMDb.
Great Performances
Maggie starred as Violet Venable in the 1993 episode “Suddenly, Last Summer” of Great Performances. The storyline follows “The only son of wealthy widow Violet Venable dies while on vacation with his cousin Catherine. What the girl saw was so horrible that she went insane; now Mrs. Venable wants Catherine lobotomized to cover up the truth,” per IMDb.
2000s
Harry Potter Franchise
Maggie is primarily recognized for her role as Professor McGonagall throughout the Harry Potter franchise, which began in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and concluded in 2011 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. The first film tells “The tale of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), an ordinary eleven-year-old boy serving as a sort of slave for his aunt and uncle who learns that he is actually a wizard and has been invited to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry,” according to IMDb.
Alongside Daniel, her co-stars consisted of Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and more
2010s
Downton Abbey
The late actress also gained fame for her role in the Downton Abbey films. The second film, Downton Abbey: A New Era, was released in 2022. Maggie played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. The film’s storyline involves “The Crawleys prepare to host King George V and Queen Mary at Downton Abbey,” per IMDb. She also starred in the Downton Abbey television series, which aired from 2010 to 2015.
2020s
The Miracle Club
The Miracle Club was the last film Maggie starred in, released in 2023, where she played Lily Fox. According to IMDb, the movie depicts “A hard-knocks community that marches to its own beat, rooted in traditions of loyalty, faith and togetherness. There’s just one tantalizing dream for the women of Ballygar to taste freedom and escape the gauntlet of domestic life: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes. And with a little benevolent interference from their cheeky and rebellious priest, close friends Lily, Eileen, Dolly and her son Daniel are the ‘lucky’ few to win this ticket of a lifetime at their riotous local raffle night.”
To find more films or series that Maggie starred in, you can visit IMDb.