RIP Dame Maggie Smith

[lordnastrond]

The incomparably talented, witty, funny, and beloved Dame Maggie Smith has passed today at the age of 89.

I know a lot of people will remember her for her many iconic roles, Professor McGonagall in particular has a special place in my heart from childhood where she embodied the character so completely I couldn't picture anyone else as I grew up reading the books.
An incredible actress who could inject tremendous personality and humanity in any role, she stole every scene she was in whether she was portraying complex and powerful characters like Jean Brodie from her Oscar winning role in the Prime of Jean Brodie, memorable and attention commanding roles like Dowager Countess Violet Crawley in Downtown Abbey or even when she played a smaller or supporting part as she did in Hook, Sister Act, Clash of the Titans and many other films.

An incredible presence in the British acting world, I recall once at Ian Mckellen's one-man-show he said how "everyone has a Maggie Smith story" usually meaning a funny story of her doing or saying something so funny and shockingly honest they remember it fondly for the rest of their careers, showing how much of a larger than life personality she had, a natural wit and brutal honesty that made everyone around her love her.

Truly sad to see such a legend, an icon of cinema, pass away.

I think it might be a nice idea for folks to share their favourite role of hers, and their favourite role of hers that is a little less mainstream.
For example, one of my favourite comedies is Keeping Mum, where Maggie plays Grace, an elderly and seemingly kind old woman who applys for the role of a house-keeper for a countryside vicar's family only to turn out to be a completely deranged [yet oddly sweet and loveable] serial killer.

Rest In Peace, Dame Maggie.

 

[lordnastrond]

Sharing one of my favourite "Maggie Smith stories" from another dearly departed legend of the art Kenneth Williams - one of her great friends and indeed Maggie considered him her platonic soul-mate and her, i think best summed her up by saying "she's one of those rare people who make things and places suddenly marvelous by just being there".
Also, fun fact according to Maggie in another famous interview he was the one who taught her everything she knows about comedic timing.

Edit: Oh, just found the very interview I was thinking about on Twitter - so here it is if anyone is interested

Couple of extracts from William's diaries - showing how much they meant to one another, its nice to think they may be reunited now, if you believe in that.

 

[lordnastrond]

Found a clip where Ian Mckellen admits he gets in trouble with Maggie Smith because he tells too many stories about her!



Yeah he told a bunch of those stories on his 80th birthday tour, she sounds like someone I would get along with - real acerbic sense of humour!

Here is another clip of Ian doing his Maggie Smith impression