With the combined fan power of Downton Abbey and Harry Potter, as well as the surprising success of the Marigold Hotel franchise, Maggie Smith’s visibility has increased with age.
The two-time Oscar-winner is also back in this year’s race with a role in The Lady in the Van, an adaptation of Alan Bennett’s hit play, which sees her take on the role she has played to great acclaim on stage. She plays Miss Shepherd, the eccentric elderly woman who lived in a van outside Bennett’s home for over a decade.
But aside from her latter-day glory, which films contain her finest performances?
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Smith’s early work on stage led to her first Oscar nomination for a role in the 1965 film version of Othello, replicating her performance at the National Theatre. Just four years later, she became a winner, at the age of 35, for her commanding lead role in another stage adaptation. Her performance as an impassioned teacher was a knockout and introduced her to a wider audience.
California Suite
That audience included American writers and directors, and the 1970s saw Smith making TV appearances on The Carol Burnett Show and in Alan J Pakula’s film Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing. In 1978, she was back at the Oscars, picking up the best supporting actress award for the Neil Simon-scripted comedy. She went meta and played a British actor in with a shot at an Oscar. Her onscreen chemistry with Michael Caine (with whom she also starred years later in Curtain Call) was arguably the film’s highlight.
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
One of Smith’s more underrated films saw her take centre stage in the character study of a lonely and vulnerable woman who thinks she might have found love. She deservedly won a Bafta in 1989 for the role, imbuing what could have been a stereotype with affection and realism.
Sister Act
While the 1992 fish-out-of-water comedy was seen by most as a showcase for the undeniable comic talents of a frenetic Whoopi Goldberg, Smith’s turn as the disapproving Reverend Mother was note perfect. Navigating tricky sitcom territory without resorting to stereotype, she added humanity to an affecting performance.
Gosford Park
Smith headed back to the Oscars for her role in the 2001 period comedy, which nabbed her a nomination for best supporting actress. In a way, it acted as a precursor to her role in Downton Abbey, allowing her to show her prowess with Julian Fellowes’ sharp dialogue, playing the role of a compellingly mean countess.
