IMAGE: Maggie Smith poses for the media at a hotel in central London, August 13, 2015, for a media interaction to promote Downton Abbey's final season. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
The legendary British actress Dame Maggie Smith passed into the green room of eternal performers up in Heaven on Friday, September 27, 2024. She would have turned 90 on December 28.
Even though she was widely acknowledged as one of the finest actresses of the 20th century, this century knew Maggie Smith from her portrayal as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies and more recently as the pungent tongued dowager countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey.
Some glimpses of Maggie Smith, an intensely private person who was bewildered by her fame in the final 15 years of her life thanks to Harry Potter and Downton Abbey:
IMAGE: Maggie Smith with Michelle Dockery who played her eldest granddaughter Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith and Elizabeth McGovern, who played her American daughter-in-law Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith with her fellow Downton Abbey cast members Joanne Froggatt, left, Michelle Dockery, centre. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith poses for photographers at the Evening Standard British Film Awards in London, February 7, 2016. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith arrives for the BAFTA Awards at the Royal Opera House in London, February 14, 2016. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith at Wimbledon, July 11, 2019. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith and Rupert Grint on the red carpet as they arrive for the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince at Leicester Square in London, July 7, 2009. Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters
IMAGE: Actors Bill Connolly and Maggie Smith and Director Dustin Hoffman pose on the red carpet for the gala presentation of the film Quartet at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival, September 9, 2012. Photograph: Mark Blinch/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith arrives for the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 in Trafalgar Square, London, July 7, 2011. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith is announced as a nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Downton Abbey as actors Taye Diggs and Busy Philipps announce the nominations for the 19th Screen Actors Guild Awards in West Hollywood, California, December 12, 2012. Photograph: Jason Redmond/Reuters
IMAGE: Dame Maggie Smith arrives at the Royal Film Performance and world premiere of the film The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel at Leicester Square, London, February 17, 2015. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters
IMAGE: Director Franco Zeffirelli poses with Lily Tomlin, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith and Cher, the stars of his film Tea With Mussolini at the film's royal premiere in London, March 18, 1999. Photograph: Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith holds her BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her acting in Tea with Mussolini presented to her by Ralph Fiennes, April 9, 2000. Photograph: Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith arrives at the Universal Pictures DreamWorks USA Films party following the 59th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, January 20, 2002.
She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gosford Park. Photograph: Reuters
IMAGE: Actors Jeremy Northam, Kelly Macdonald, Maggie Smith and Director Robert Altman pose for a photocall to present Gosford Park at the 52nd Berlinale international film festival, February 10, 2002. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
IMAGE: Maggie Smith arrives at the 74th Academy Awards March 24, 2002. Photograph: Win McNamee/Reuters
IMAGE: Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith star in Robert Fox's production of David Hare's new play The Breath of Life at The Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London, October 9, 2002.
The play is a tale of two women whose lives are interwoven in ways neither of them yet understand. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Reuters
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com