British actress Maggie Smith: biography and creative career

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The full name of the famous artist from England is Margaret Natalie Smith. As a thank you for her unsurpassed talent, the actress was awarded the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and the Order of the Knights of Honor. The famous actress is a seven-time BAFTA winner, twice she received an Oscar. Her awards include 2 Oscars and 4 Emmys. Many TV viewers remember Maggie from the science fiction films about Harry Potter.

Biography of the actress

Margaret Natalie Smith was born in 1934 in December. Maggie is the only daughter in the Smith family. She had two older brothers - Alistair and Jan. The early childhood of the actress took place in a small suburb of England, Ilford.

Maggie grew up in a family of intellectuals. The actress's father, Nathaniel Smith, was a professor at the University of Oxford. At the age of five, Maggie Smith and her parents moved from a small town toOxford, where Margaret went to girls' school.

Being a schoolgirl, Maggie already dreamed of the theater stage. However, after she successfully graduated from an educational institution, she never managed to enter the theater school. The reason for this was parental protest. They did not want to let their beloved daughter go far from them. The young artist did not argue with her parents and entered Oxford University, but she did not give up her own dream. The girl enrolled in acting school and soon entered the stage of the theater at the university. Photos of Maggie Smith can be seen in this article.

The theater in the life of an actress

Maggie's first debut role was in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. In it, the actress played the role of Viola.

In 1952, the creative biography of the artist began. Each production, in which the artist took part, was madly liked by the public. After a while, the directors and directors agreed that Margaret is a real talent, which is expected to be a stunning success. After 4 years, the young artist was invited to a Broadway production, inviting her to play in Mary, Mary.

In 1960, Maggie took the place of prima at the Royal National Theatre. In her youth, Maggie Smith participated in the production of Shakespeare, where she played the role of Desdemona in a pair with Laurence Olivier, and her partner appeared in the image of a jealous strangler. Five years later, they decided to transfer the theatrical production to television screens, as a result of which the actress became the owner ofthe first awards in her life.

Work in cinematography

In the 1958 crime film Nowhere to Go, Maggie played the lead character Bridget Howard. This was followed by a comedy film project “Go to hell.”

Since 1962, Smith has appeared in films on a regular basis, constantly delighting the audience with his presence. Within one year, at least two films appeared on the screens with the participation of Maggie Smith. Two years later, a dramatic picture called "The Pumpkin Eater" appeared on British television, the creator of which was Jack Clayton. The project managed to win 6 awards. Anne Bancroft was given the lead role. Maggie Smith herself appeared in the film as a minor character.

Further career in film and theater

In 1969, a film appeared on television called The Rise of Miss Jean Brodie. In this comedy, the actress played the role of a teacher in one of the private schools - Jean Brodie. The main role in this comedy gave the artist two awards. According to Maggie herself, it was not difficult for her to transform into the image of a teacher. Many great film critics said that Maggie did a great job with her task.

A year later, the actress decided to direct all her energy to work in the theater. She went on a tour of the United States, thereby delighting her fans. In television projects, an actress can rarely be seen, but if she appears in any film, it instantly causes a lot ofpositive emotions among viewers.

In 1972, Maggie Smith played a role in a comedy called "Millionairess" from director William Slater. The play by B. Shaw was taken as the basis for the film. The creators of the picture decided to give the main role to Maggie, which they did not regret at all.

The next award for the artist came after she starred in a comedy called "California Hotel". The film premiered in 1978. D. Fonda and M. Kane turned out to be partners on the set of the actress.

Film shooting

In 1981, viewers were able to see the movie "Battle of the Titans", where the actress played the role of Thetis. Maggie's partner on the set turned out to be L. Olivier, who, along with the actress, played one of the main roles. The painting was created according to Greek mythology. In addition to this historical film, in the same year, another project was released with the participation of Maggie called "Quartet", the creator of which was James Ivory. 4 years after the release of the picture, the director again recalls the British actress and invites her to play in the drama film "A Room with a View".

Role in the movie "Harry Potter"

The most successful and famous work in the filmography of Maggie Smith is the role in the films about Harry Potter. The actress played the role of Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall. Her heroine was distinguished by strictness and exactingness in relation to the students. However, this is one of the most intelligent, reasonable and honest teachers. Later, McGonagall becomes headmaster of Hogwarts, and thisshe really deserves the place. In addition, the heroine is an animagus, that is, she has the ability to transform into an animal, namely a cat. For Maggie Smith, the role became very successful, the actress became famous not only in her country, but throughout the world.

Actress's personal life

As a young girl, the artist amazed everyone around with her natural beauty and attractiveness. With a height of 165 cm, the actress weighed 52 kg. Maggie had red hair, huge gray eyes, she always had a large army of fans, trying in every possible way to win the attention of a red-haired beauty. However, the artist herself chose her colleague Robert Stevens. In 1967, the marriage took place. After some time, the son Chris Larkin was born, and 2 years later Toby Stevens was born. Unfortunately, married life cracked and the couple separated after five years. In 1975, the actress married playwright Beverly Cros. It was a long and successful union. Cross died in 1998.