Maggie Smith

December 28, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Maggie Smith was born on December 28, 1934, in Ilford, London, England. After graduating from high school, Smith decided to pursue a career in the performing arts. After working in some stage plays, Smith started getting notable roles in famous movies. Her career grew, and now she is one of the most prolific actresses. Whenever someone thinks about great British actresses, Smith is on the list. She embodies her characters and leaves an impression through her acting skills. Join us to celebrate the dame’s birthday!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Margaret Natalie Smith

Birth date:

December 28, 1934

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Capricorn

Height:

5' 4"

Relationship Status:

Widowed

Net Worth:

$20 million

Background

Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, most known as Maggie Smith, was born in Ilford, Essex, England, on December 28, 1934. Smith is the daughter of pathologist Nathaniel Smith and secretary Margaret Hutton. When Smith was four, her family moved to Oxford due to her father’s job. Smith attended Oxford High School and graduated from high school at age 16. Then, she attended Oxford Playhouse to study acting and graduated in 1953.

Smith got her first acting job in 1952 in the play “Twelfth Night.” The actress debuted on film in 1956 with the movie “Child in the House.” In her early acting years, Smith participated in several successful plays, obtaining multiple accolades. In 1958 she got her first big role in the film industry in the movie “Nowhere to Go.” In 1965, Smith got her first Academy Award nomination for her role in the film “Othello.” In 1969, the actress won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her leading role in the movie “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” She then won her second Academy Award in 1978 for her role in “California Suite.”

Smith continued developing her career by working on an extensive list of successful films, stage plays, and television series. In 2010, Smith got a role in the acclaimed H.B.O. period series “Downton Abbey” as Violet Crawley. She appeared in the series until 2015 and won the Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for her role. Smith brought Violet Crawley back to life in 2019 and 2022 in the movies “Downton Abbey” and “Downton Abbey: A New Era.”

Career timeline

1952

Her First Acting Job

She works on the play “Twelfth Night.”

1956

Her Film Debut

She appears in “Child in the House” in a small role.

1965

Her First Academy Award Nomination

She gets her first Academy Award nomination.

1969

Her First Academy Award

She wins her first Academy Award for the film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.”

Why We Love Maggie Smith

To her, age is just a number
As of 2022, Smith is 87 years old. The actress leads a very active life and is still working on several acting projects.
She has had a prolific career
Smith has a prolific acting career that spans over six decades. She has worked on 60 films and 70 plays. She has a remarkable career!
Her charity work is admirable
Smith always does her best to give back to the community as much as she can. For example, she is a patron of the International Glaucoma Association and the Oxford Playhouse.

5 Surprising Facts

She was in the Harry Potter cast
Smith became very popular among a young audience in 2001 because of her role as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” franchise.
Like mother, like son
Smith’s first son, Chris Larkin, is also an actor.
She is a Dame
Smith was named Dame by Queen Elizabeth II.
She is one of a kind
Smith is one of the few actresses to win Academy Awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
She is a Triple Crown
Smith has won Academy, Emmy, and Tony Awards.