An almost unearthly poise and refinement, a razor-sharp wit, flawless comic timing, an unexpected warmth and an ever present, knowing wink – these are just some of the indelible qualities which Dame Maggie Smith brought to her work across theatre, film and TV over the past 70 years, building a formidable career that is the envy of many of her contemporaries. Following the tragic news of her death at the age of 89, we pay tribute to her 10 greatest creations from the big and small screen, from the flinty Miss Jean Brodie to the deliciously scathing Dowager Countess of Grantham, Lady Violet Crawley. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) By then already a fixture on the British stage, the actor took Hollywood by storm at the age of 34, winning a Best Actress Oscar for her mercurial turn as the charismatic and supremely influential titular school teacher in Ronald Neame’s fascinating character study.
It’s a tour de force that kept expectations sky high for the rest of her career. California Suite (1978) Floating into view in diaphanous dresses and strings of pearls while sipping beer, stuffing her face with bagels and eviscerating her husband (Michael Caine), Smith steals every scene in Herbert Ross’s fizzy anthology comedy following bickering couples at a luxury hotel. As a snooty thespian on the cusp of a comeback, she proved that she could deliver a withering punchline as expertly as a Shakespearean monologue, and scooped a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in the process.
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