Maggie Smith’s Most Memorable Roles Through the Years

Maggie Smith captivated audiences with her vast collection of roles on the big screen, small screen and the stage.

Despite appearing in major franchises such as Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, Smith had no desire to be famous. “I don’t feel any different to the way I felt before, and I’m not quite sure what [being a star] means,” she said during a rare interview with 60 Minutes in February 2013.

Three years later, the actress revealed why she chose to perform in stage productions more than on the big screen.

“In the theater, you know, you get another chance. You can do it the next night, the next performance. You can probably get it right then. But you don’t have any real say in a film,” she told NPR in 2016. “And quite honestly, I probably drive everybody mad and go on and on and on and want to do another take and — because I never feel that it’s right. So, I always feel huge pressure.”

She reflected on her work in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey in a 2019 interview with the U.K.’s Evening Standard Magazine, stating, “I am deeply grateful for the work in Potter and indeed Downton, but it wasn’t what you’d call satisfying. I didn’t really feel I was acting in those things.”

Smith died at age 89 in September 2024, one year after starring in The Miracle Club with Kathy Bates and Laura Linney.

Scroll down to take a look back at Smith’s biggest roles: