Maggie Smith in six unforgettable roles

His incomparable sense of humor and overwhelming charisma made Maggie Smith into one of the most recognized, loved and admired actresses of British cinema. The performer died this Friday at the age of 89, leaving behind a prolific career of more than seven decades that made her a recognizable face for several generations.

Smith participated in more than fifty films, starred in dozens of television series, but what marked his career from the beginning to the end were his beginnings in the theater. The actress was one of the first actresses to act in the Old Vic from London with National Theatre together with its founder, Laurence Olivier, in the sixties.

The actress, known to the general public for her roles in the Harry Potter films or Downton Abbey and winner of two Oscar awards, is one of the few performers who have achieved what is known as the triple crown of acting: Oscar, Emmy and Tony.

Known for her outspoken personality and having no interest in being famous, Smith was honored for her contributions to culture as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Although it is impossible to condense his extensive career, these are some of his unforgettable roles.

Desdemona en Othello (1965)

Smith marked an era in the theater and knew how to transfer his talent from the stage to the big screen in projects such as this adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic, which was based on Laurence Olivier’s production. The actress played the role of Desdemona, daughter of a Venetian nobleman who secretly marries Othello so as not to disappoint her father. The performance earned Smith his first Oscar nomination.

Jean Brodie, Miss Brodie’s best years (1969)

Probably the most important role of his film career. Smith played an arrogant teacher at an all-girls school in 1930s Edinburgh using unconventional methods and romanticizing dictators as fascists. Smith’s performance was widely applauded and she ended up winning the Oscar for Best Actress.

Diana Barrie, California Suite (1978)

In a cast full of stars such as Michael Caine, Jane Fonda and herself, Smith managed to stand out with her interpretation of an actress, Diana Barrie, who is preparing to attend the Oscar gala, where she hopes to win a statuette even knowing that she will not. It has possibilities.

Smith did have a chance, and she ended up winning her second Oscar for her role, where she shared most of the screen time with Caine, who played her husband. Years after its release, Caine himself said that working with Smith had been “a masterclass in comedy acting.”

Lady Trentham, Gosford Park (2001)

Despite starting her career in the ’60s, Smith remained a star in the ’00s. Proof of this is her role as Lady Trentham, a British socialite countess in Gosford Parkwhere it was directed by director Robert Altman. His work was an appetizer of what he would do years later in Downton Abbey and earned her her last Oscar nomination for supporting actress fourteen years after her candidacy for A room with a view.

Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter (2001-2011)

Smith’s career was already legendary when it was released Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stonebut her role as the sarcastic, demanding and motherly Professor McGonagall in the franchise films made her an essential face for the general public. “A lot of very small people used to greet me and that was nice,” she explained in 2015 about how children would chase her down the street, something that had never happened to her until then.

Smith, who participated in all eight films of the saga and underwent chemotherapy treatment during the filming of the sixth installment, said in 2019 that the best thing about participating in the films was “the relationship with his grandchildren” and that “he didn’t feel like he was acting” during filming.

Lady Violet, Downton Abbey (2010-2015)

As with Harry Potter, Smith was not entirely “satisfied” with her work on the Downton Abbey series, but her sarcastic Lady Violet Crawley is television history and an icon for fans of the series. The fiction set in the 19th century would not have been the same without the pearls of wit of Smith’s character, who once again demonstrated his ability for comedy.

Despite the success of the series and the films that were released later, Smith wanted to return to the theaterwhere he had not performed since 2007. He achieved it after twelve years without performing on stage, in 2019, leaving viewers speechless with a monologue lasting more than an hour and a half titled A German Life where she played Goebbels’ secretary.