When people talk about British acting royalty, Dame Maggie Smith is the first name that comes to mind. With her passing at 89, the world didn’t just lose a legendary actress — it lost a performer who could command a room with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. Over the course of more than seven decades, she transformed sarcasm into a work of art, pairing humor with seriousness, and left behind a career that is both inspiring and intimidating. From the West End to Hogwarts, Smith was a screen (and stage) presence. To honor her, let’s look at 10 of her greatest performances — in reverse countdown format, because the buildup is all the better.
10. Downton Abbey – Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham
If there’s a crown for tart-tongued aristocrats, Smith wore it. As the Dowager Countess, she made Downton Abbey mandatory, dishing out one-liners with the deadly precision of a stiletto. “What is a weekend?” is more than a line — it’s a Maggie Smith cultural touchstone. Three Emmys later, this ranks among her crowning late-career achievements.
9. Harry Potter Series – Professor Minerva McGonagall
Hogwarts had more than its fair share of anarchy, but Smith’s McGonagall was the voice of reason who prevented everything from descending into chaos. Strict but warm, she was the epitome of a teacher who could discipline and show empathy in equal proportions. For generations of readers, she was the teacher they loved, respected, and feared equally.
8. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) – Miss Jean Brodie
The role that launched her to international stardom — and earned her the Best Actress Oscar. Smith’s Jean Brodie is charismatic, manipulative, and riveting, inspiring non-stop arguments about whether or not her character was a brilliant teacher or a destructive force. Either way, it was a tour de force performance.
7. California Suite (1978) – Diana Barrie
Shared with Michael Caine in Neil Simon’s comedy, Smith played an actress experiencing a spectacular marital breakdown. The role earned her her second Oscar (for Supporting Actress this time), and it’s a demonstration of her whip-sharp comic sensibilities combined with real vulnerability.
6. A Room with a View (1985) – Charlotte Bartlett
Taking on the role of uptight, interfering cousin, Smith made what would have been an otherwise forgettable supporting role pure gold in terms of scene-stealing. Both comedy relief and integral to the heroine’s transformation, she demonstrated that she could bring even the most repressed character to iconic status.
5. Sister Act (1992) – Reverend Mother
Yes, Whoopi Goldberg was the star, but Maggie Smith was the glue that kept the convent together. The grumbling Reverend Mother, with a secret soft center, was able to be both funny and profoundly moving. Her no-nonsense presence made the comedy even better.
4. Gosford Park (2001) – Countess Constance of Trentham
Previous to Downton Abbey, Smith was busy honing the craft of playing a snarling aristocrat in Robert Altman’s murder mystery. Her countess could destroy you with one glance or a single, biting remark. The performance earned her another Oscar nomination and solidified her as the undisputed queen of high-society zingers.
3. The Lady in the Van (2015) – Miss Shepherd
As a homeless misfit in Alan Bennett’s driveway, Smith delivered a performance that was humorous, poignant, and precisely the right amount of disturbing. What might have been a wacky caricature was transformed by her into something far more profound — an exploration of loneliness, fortitude, and dignity.
2. Lettice and Lovage (1987/1990) – Lettice Douffet
Smith’s Tony-winning performance as a frenetically inventive tour guide was custom-made for her quick wit and larger-than-life style. She took the play from London to Broadway, flaunting her comedic brilliance and commanding stage presence in a role that allowed her to own the stage night after night.
1. A German Life (2019) – Brunhilde Pomsel
At 84, Smith resumed work on stage for the first time in over a decade for an astonishing one-woman performance. Portraying Joseph Goebbels’ secretary, she captivated audiences for almost two hours with mere presence and voice. It was a stunningly late-career achievement — a testament to the fact that her art never faded, even towards the end of her life.
Maggie Smith’s genius was never about trophies or iconic roles. She revolutionized how older women were perceived on stage and screen — not as background players, but as commanding, magnetic, ceaselessly interesting forces. With a wink or a well-timed quip, she could steal the spotlight. That is her real legacy: demonstrating that talent and presence only get sharper with age.