Britain lost itself a national treasure in late September as Dame Maggie Smith, renowned for her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, passed away aged 89. Forever graceful with regal excellence, Smith made it look easy with an almost seven-decade presence on stage and screen that meshed comedy with drama and emulated her feisty character into the roles we grew up with.
An Irreplaceable Legacy in Harry Potter
I, like most, grew up with Dame Smith’s never-dwindling command as a thespian through as the head of Gryffindor House, Professor Minerva McGonigal. The casting for the Harry Potter saga in terms of the onslaught of British veterans assembled to bring the beloved books to the screen cannot be understated in terms of its faultless pairing of actor and role. Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane, who too have sadly passed, were impeccable for their roles, sinister Snape and huggable Hagrid, those I argue were irreplaceable, regardless of the upcoming, television-bound remake.
Despite this, Smith largely remained in the background of the adventures, while the predominantly male staff of Hogwarts were often at the forefront, from Rickman’s Snape to Richard Harris and Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore and even Jim Broadbent for a singular feature as quirky Slughorn. But, in its final chapter, the series granted her the opportunity to lead the side of good into battle against Ralph Fiennes’ Dark Lord and she relished with an explosion of authority in every single moment that was long overdue. It’s a scene I personally never tire of seeing.
Reigniting the Screen in Downton Abbey
Smith equally delighted in my later years as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in the multi-award-winning show, Downton Abbey. With similar vigour in holding the attention of the room on her, Dame Maggie endorsed the role with her aptitude for comedy, making the largely traditionalist matriarch endearing.
A Career Beyond Two Roles
There are far more roles that make up the grand archives of Dame Maggie’s career, including her Oscar-winning performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. However, what’s most intriguing is her character out of the spotlight.
Smith made her mark as a figure of pure ferocity, one never afraid to speak her mind. Playwright Ronald Harwood once talked of how the actress would not tolerate co-stars whom she did not feel were up to the parts they were cast in. He said, “If Maggie likes another actor’s kind of acting, she’ll do anything to help that performance; if she finds it in any way boring or tedious, that other actor might as well not exist.”
A Spiky, Yet Beloved Persona
Dame Maggie once told the New York Times Magazine: “It’s true I don’t tolerate fools but then they don’t tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.”
Yet there was rarely any criticism against her, rather the utmost respect. Simon Callow, who worked alongside her in the 1985 film A Room with a View, told the BBC: “It’s to do with her absolutely extraordinary mind… I don’t think there is another actor on earth who can make you see what she is talking about.”
A Legacy Remembered by Colleagues
Truly, Smith always had audiences hanging on every word with her effortless balance of austerity and maternal spirit. Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular lead, reflected on how much of Smith was a part of McGonigal in his tribute to the actress: “[S]he was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny.”
Smith’s Downton Abbey co-star Michelle Dockery called the actress “a maverick” in a statement: “There was no one quite like Maggie,” she said. “I feel tremendously lucky to have known such a maverick. She will be deeply missed and my thoughts are with her family.”
The Final Goodbye
After two feature film spin-offs were made, the character was ceremoniously killed off after a long illness. A third feature is to be released, the only occasion where the Dowager will indefinitely not appear. However, it would be hard to retain the same vitality amidst the ensemble without the figurehead of the estate. And now with Dame Maggie’s actual death, the sentiment is felt even stronger.
The Outpouring of Tributes
Tributes have poured in from fellow castmates who have known the actress across her long career.
Emma Watson posted her tribute on Instagram Stories: “When I was younger, I had no idea of Maggie’s legend — the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with.” She added, “It is only as I’ve become an adult that I’ve come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness.”
Hugh Bonneville, who played Smith’s onscreen son in Downton Abbey, stated “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent,” adding “She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances.
Whoopi Goldberg, who starred with Smith in 1992’s “Sister Act” and 1993’s “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” shared a still of them together from the musical films on Instagram. She stated “Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress,” she wrote. “I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind.’ My heartfelt condolences go out to the family … RIP.”
Paul McCartney shared an Instagram post stating that he first met Smith in the 1960s and that she “was a great person with a wicked sense of humor whom over the years it has been my pleasure to know.”
Dame Maggie once summed up her life with the phrase: “One wanted to act, one started to act, and one’s still acting.” And so she did and she leaves behind a colossal estate of rich and pure with her unique charisma that few could equal.
