Maggie Smith

Maggie Smith was married to actor Robert Stephens from 1967 to 1975. They had two sons named Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens. She was married to Beverley Cross from 1975 until his death in 1998.

She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. After successfully undergoing treatment, she managed to make a full recovery.

Margaret Natalie “Maggie” Smith was born in Ilford, Essex on 28th December 1934. Her father Nathaniel Smith was a public health pathologist and her mother’s name was Margaret Hutton. Her family moved to Oxford when she was four, as her father was appointed at the Oxford University as a pathologist. She had two elder twin brothers.

Till the age of sixteen, she studied at the Oxford High School, and later from 1951 to 1953, she studied at the Oxford Playhouse School. In 1952, she made her professional debut in a production of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. She made her film debut in 1956, playing an unaccredited role in the film ‘Child in the House’.

Maggie Smith’s first important role on the big screen was in the British crime film ‘Nowhere to Go’ in 1958. The film was about a criminal who is looking for his stashed loot after escaping from prison, while being hunted by the police and shunned by his accomplishes. Smith won the BAFTA Award for ‘Most Promising Newcomer’.

Smith appeared in films such as ‘Go to Blazes’ (1962), ‘The Pumpkin Eater’ (1964) ‘Othello’ (1965) and ‘Hot Millions’ (1968). Her role in ‘Othello’ earned Smith her first Oscar nomination. Meanwhile, she was also seen in dramas by renowned playwrights such as Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov.

In 1969, she played the titular lead role in ‘The Prime of Jean Brodie’, a drama film that was based on the novel of the same name. Though the film wasn’t much of a commercial success, it was praised by the critics.

She next appeared in films such as ‘Travels with My Aunt’ (1972) and ‘Death on the Nile’ (1978). The former earned Smith her third Oscar nomination. She won her second Academy Award in the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ category for her role in ‘California Suite,’ a 1979 comedy film directed by Herbert Ross. She won the Golden Globe Award as well in the ‘Best Actress-Comedy or Musical’ category.

Maggie Smith earned her first nomination for the Tony Award in 1975 in the ‘Best Actress’ category for her work in the play ‘Private Lives’ and her second one for her role in the play ‘Night and Day’ in the same category.

‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ is among the major works of Maggie Smith’s career. Directed by Ronald Neame, the film was based on a novel of the same name, by Muriel Spark. Smith’s portrayal of an idealistic, unorthodox schoolteacher was much appreciated and earned her an Oscar for Best Actress. She also won the BAFTA Award in the same category. The film didn’t do too well financially, but the critical reception was positive.

Maggie Smith is also known internationally for her role of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the famous and critically acclaimed ‘Harry Potter’ film series. She played the character in seven out of the eight films of the series. The films, which were based on the Harry Potter novels by JK Rowling, were much successful critically and financially. She was nominated for the ‘Phoenix Film Critics Society Award’ and the ‘Saturn Award’ for her role.