Editing Maggie Smith (section)

==Career==
{{main list|List of Maggie Smith performances}}
=== 1952–1968: National Theatre ===
[[File:Original Black Comedy Cast.jpg|thumb|right| The original 1965 [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] cast of ''[[Black Comedy (play)|Black Comedy]]''. From left: Louise Purnell, [[Albert Finney]], [[Derek Jacobi]], Maggie Smith and [[Graham Crowden]].]] In 1952, aged 17, under the auspices of the [[Oxford University Dramatic Society]], Smith began her career as Viola in ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' at the [[Oxford Playhouse]]. She continued to act in productions at the Oxford Playhouse, including ''Cinderella'' (1952), ''[[Rookery Nook (play)|Rookery Nook]]'' (1953), ''[[Cakes and Ale]]'' (1953) and ''[[The Government Inspector]]'' (1954). That same year, she appeared in the television programme ''Oxford Accents'' (1954) produced by [[Ned Sherrin]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Coveney |title=Obituary: Ned Sherrin |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=3 October 2007 }}</ref> In 1956 Smith made her [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] debut playing several roles in the review ''New Faces of '56'', at the [[Ethel Barrymore Theatre]] from June to December 1956.<ref>Maggie Smith acceptance speech at the 44th Tony Awards telecast in 1990.</ref> In 1957 she starred opposite [[Kenneth Williams]] in the musical comedy ''Share My Lettuce'', written by [[Bamber Gascoigne]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_s/sharelettuce.htm |title=Share My Lettuce |work=The Guide to Musical Theatre |access-date=22 December 2011}}</ref>

In 1962 Smith won the first of a record six Best Actress ''Evening Standard'' Awards for her roles in [[Peter Shaffer]]'s plays ''The Private Ear'' and ''The Public Eye'', again opposite Kenneth Williams. She caught the eye of [[Laurence Olivier]], who, after seeing her in ''[[The Double Dealer]]'' at [[The Old Vic]], invited her to become part of his new [[National Theatre Company]] soon after it was formed at The Old Vic in 1962. Alongside [[Derek Jacobi]] and [[Michael Gambon]], she soon became a fixture at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] in the 1960s. The theatre critic [[Michael Coveney]] wrote that during her eight years in the company, Smith developed a fierce rivalry with Olivier writing, "He knew immediately he'd met his match – that she was extraordinary. He said that anyone who can play comedy that well can also play tragedy and he offered her the likes of [[Desdemona]] in [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Othello]]''. But having got her into the company they became not enemies, but professional rivals. Never before had anyone on stage been quicker than him and now, it seemed, there was a contest."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oldvictheatre.com/news/2017/12/maggie-smith-and-the-old-vic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924191704/https://www.oldvictheatre.com/news/2017/12/maggie-smith-and-the-old-vic|archive-date=24 September 2021|title=Maggie Smith and The Old Vic|website= [[The Old Vic]]|first=Elizabeth|last=Charlesworth|date=28 December 2017|access-date=29 May 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Laurence Olivier Carl Van Vechten portrait 3.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Smith worked extensively with [[Laurence Olivier]] at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]].]]
During a 1964 production of ''Othello'', Olivier struck Smith across the face, [[Unconsciousness|knocking her out]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/09/maggie-smith-laurence-olivier-othello-tea-with-the-dames-joan-plowright-judi-dench-eileen-atkins|title=Maggie Smith Had No Patience for Laurence Olivier's Diva Antics|first=Julie|last=Miller|date=25 September 2018|magazine=Vanity Fair}}</ref> She later recalled the incident on a 2015 edition of ''[[The Graham Norton Show]]'' and in the 2018  documentary ''[[Nothing Like a Dame (film)|Nothing Like a Dame]]''. She appeared opposite Olivier as Sylvia in ''[[The Recruiting Officer]]'' in 1963–64<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theatricalia.com/play/3j9/the-recruiting-officer/production/9v6|title=Production of The Recruiting Officer &#124; Theatricalia|website=theatricalia.com}}</ref> and again as Hilde in [[Henrik Ibsen|Ibsen]]'s ''[[The Master Builder]]'' in 1964–65.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dresscircle.co.uk/shows/the-master-builder/the-old-vic-london-96|title=The Master Builder at The Old Vic November 1964 to July 1965 &#124; Dress Circle}}</ref> Smith's 1967 portrayal of Beatrice in ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'', by the director [[Franco Zeffirelli]], is thought to be the earliest British television broadcast of the entire play. The screen version was assumed lost until a copy was discovered in the [[Library of Congress]] in Washington, DC in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/565168/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Much Ado About Nothing (1967)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/YYKTPCrSpLz6bxXgNtPhj8/dame-again-early-lost-maggie-smith-appearance-painstakingly-restored#:~:text=Much%20Ado%20About%20Nothing%20starring,broadcast%20of%20the%20whole%20play. | title=BBC – Shakespeare Lives – Dame Again – Early 'lost' Maggie Smith appearance painstakingly restored }}</ref>

Smith appeared in her first film in 1956, in an uncredited role of a party guest in the British drama ''[[Child in the House]]''.<ref name=oxf>{{Cite book |title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance |year=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19172-781-8}}</ref> In 1959 she received the first of her 18 [[British Academy Film Award]] nominations for her role as Bridget Howard in the film ''[[Nowhere to Go (1958 film)|Nowhere to Go]]'', her first screen credit.<ref name="BAFTA322"/><ref name="Nowhere to Go">{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1959/film |title=Film in 1959 |work=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] |access-date=1 January 2014}}</ref> In 1963 she appeared in a supporting role as Miss Dee Mead in the British drama film ''[[The V.I.P.s (film)|The V.I.P.s]]'' starring [[Richard Burton]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Orson Welles]]. She earned her first [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for her performance as [[Desdemona]] in the film adaptation of ''[[Othello (1965 British film)|Othello]]'' (1965), acting alongside Olivier, Jacobi and Gambon. During this time she also appeared in the British comedy ''[[Go to Blazes (1962 film)|Go to Blazes]]'' (1962), ''[[The Pumpkin Eater]]'' (1964) and ''[[Young Cassidy]]'' (1965).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Go to Blazes |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150030458 |access-date=28 September 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A list of Maggie Smith's film appearances |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/maggie-smith-ap-london-juliet-shakespeare-b2620072.html |access-date=28 September 2024 |work=The Independent}}</ref> She also appeared in [[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]]'s crime comedy ''[[The Honey Pot]]'' (1967) starring [[Rex Harrison]] and ''[[Hot Millions]]'' (1968) opposite [[Peter Ustinov]].<ref name="Ebert1968">{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |title=Hot Millions movie review & film summary (1968) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hot-millions-1968 |website=www.rogerebert.com |access-date=28 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128101235/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hot-millions-1968 |archive-date=28 November 2013 |date=21 October 1968 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2024/09/27/maggie-smith-films-list/0bb62936-7cdf-11ef-980d-341a84fdff8f_story.html |title=A list of Maggie Smith's films |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> and guest-starred as Music Hall Star in [[Richard Attenborough]]'s musical comedy ''[[Oh! What a Lovely War]]'' (1969).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://librarysearch.le.ac.uk/primo-explore/fulldisplay?vid=44UOLE_NUI |title=Oh! What A Lovely War! |publisher=University of Leicester|url-access=subscription |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref>

=== 1969–1979: Rise to prominence and stardom ===
Smith won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for her performance in [[Jean Brodie|the title role]] of the 1969 film ''[[The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (film)|The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Academy Awards Best Actress |url=http://www.filmsite.org/bestactress.html |access-date=7 August 2013 |work=Filmsite.org}}</ref> [[Vanessa Redgrave]] had originated the role on stage in London,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2010/feb/21/observer-profile-vanessa-redgrave |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |first=Andrew |last=Anthony |title=Vanessa Redgrave: A performer of passion, conviction and tragedy |date=21 February 2010 |access-date=19 May 2014}}</ref> and [[Zoe Caldwell]] won the [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play|Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]], when she played the role in New York City. Smith was singled out for her performance in the film. [[Dave Kehr]] of ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' said that Smith gives "one of those technically stunning, emotionally distant performances that the British are so damn good at."<ref>{{cite news |last=Kehr |first=David |title=The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-prime-of-miss-jean-brodie/Film?oid=1064172 |newspaper=[[Chicago Reader]] |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref> Greg Ferrara wrote that the film "is one of the best British films of the decade. It is as captivating today as it was upon its release and its two central performances by Maggie Smith and [[Pamela Franklin]] are both stirring and mesmerizing. ''The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' is the crème de la crème."<ref>{{cite web |last=Ferrara |first=Greg |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/625966 |title=The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Film Article |publisher=Turner Classic Movies (TCM) |access-date=14 October 2018}}</ref> The role also won Smith her first BAFTA Film Award for Best Actress.<ref name="BAFTA322"/>
[[File:Dame Maggie Smith 1973 (front side) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Smith in 1973]]
In 1970 Smith played the title role in [[Ingmar Bergman]]'s London production of the [[Henrik Ibsen]] play ''[[Hedda Gabler]]'', winning her second [[Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress|''Evening Standard'' Theatre Award for Best Actress]]. In 1975 Smith starred as Amanda Prynne in the [[Noël Coward]] comedy ''[[Private Lives]]'' at the [[46th Street Theatre]] on [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]]. The play, directed by [[John Gielgud]], received positive reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archives.stratfordfestival.ca/AIS/Details/people/9636|title=Stratford Festival Archives &#124; Details|website=archives.stratfordfestival.ca|access-date=6 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406005041/https://archives.stratfordfestival.ca/AIS/Details/people/9636|archive-date=6 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' theatre critic praised Smith's physical comedic skills writing, "Miss Smith's body spins, lurches, misses yards at a time before another foot comes down, ends in a paralysis that will require hypnosis to undo. The effect, because Noel Coward's situation is funny and because Miss Smith sends off that one little extra signal that spells extravagance, is hilarious, explosively so."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/02/16/archives/stage-view-sometimes-the-actings-the-thing.html|title= STAGE VIEW|website=The New York Times|date= 16 February 1975|access-date= 20 June 2021}}</ref> Smith received her first [[Tony Award]] nomination and a [[Drama Desk Award]] nomination. In the mid-1970s, she made several guest appearances on ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-carol-burnett-show/season-9/episode-10-dame-maggie-smith/|title= The Carol Burnett Show: Dame Maggie Smith|website= Metacritic|access-date= 4 June 2024}}</ref>

In 1972 Smith starred as the eccentric Augusta Bertram in [[George Cukor]]'s film ''[[Travels with My Aunt (film)|Travels with My Aunt]]''. She received her third Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] for her performance.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1973|title= The 45th Academy Awards|website= Oscars.org|date= 5 October 2014|access-date= 4 June 2024}}</ref> She also appeared in the film ''[[Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing]]'' (1973) directed by [[Alan J. Pakula]]. Her other films of this time include ''[[Murder by Death]]'' (1976) with [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' writing that the film had one of Simon's "nicest, breeziest screenplays" with David Niven and Maggie Smith "marvellous<!-- NOT A TYPO, ignore spell check. Just remember this article is in BRITISH ENGLISH, and they spell marvelous with TWO Ls. --> as Dick and Dora Charleston, though they haven't enough to do."<ref>{{cite news|last=Canby|first=Vincent|date=24 June 1976|title=Simon's Breezy 'Murder by Death'|newspaper=The New York Times|page=26}}</ref> Smith also starred as Miss Bowers in ''[[Death on the Nile (1978 film)|Death on the Nile]]'' (1978) alongside [[Angela Lansbury]], [[Bette Davis]], [[Peter Ustinov]] and [[David Niven]]. In 1978 Smith played opposite [[Michael Caine]] in [[Neil Simon]]'s ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'', playing an Oscar loser, for which she received the 1978 [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]].<ref>{{cite web |title=ACADEMY AWARDS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: Maggie Smith |url=https://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/051-4 |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=[[Academy Awards|Oscars.org]]}}</ref> She is the only person to have won an Oscar for portraying a fictional Oscar nominee.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/oscars-2016-dame-maggie-smith-tipped-candidate-best-actress-role-lady-van-a6727311.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210919223917/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/oscars-2016-dame-maggie-smith-tipped-candidate-best-actress-role-lady-van-a6727311.html|url-status= dead|archive-date= 19 September 2021|title= Oscars 2016: Dame Maggie Smith tipped as candidate for Best Actress for role in The Lady in The Van|website=[[The Independent]]|first=Adam|last=Sherwin|date= 9 November 2015|access-date= 15 February 2021}}</ref> For this role, she also won her first Golden Globe Award. Afterward, upon hearing that [[Michael Palin]] was about to embark on the film ''[[The Missionary]]'' (1982) with Smith, her co-star Michael Caine is supposed to have humorously telephoned Palin, warning him that she would steal the film.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/dame-maggie-smith-everyone-warms-to-countess-frosty-0fsdrn9xk7j |title=Dame Maggie Smith: Everyone warms to Countess Frosty |work=[[The Times]] |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref>

From 1976 to 1980 Smith appeared to acclaim in numerous productions at the [[Stratford Shakespeare Festival]] in [[Stratford, Ontario]];<ref name=cbc2012>{{cite web |title=Maggie Smith to get Stratford tribute |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/maggie-smith-to-get-stratford-tribute-1.1178649 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=29 September 2024}}</ref> her roles included: Cleopatra in ''[[Anthony and Cleopatra]]'' (1976),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goodland |first1=Katharine |last2=O'Connor |first2=John |chapter=Antony and Cleopatra |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-60041-0_2 |title=A Directory of Shakespeare in Performance, 1970–1990: Canada and USA |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |access-date=29 September 2024 |volume=2 |pages=9–11|doi=10.1007/978-1-349-60041-0_2 |date=2010|isbn=978-1-349-60043-4 }}</ref> Titania and Hippolyta in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' (1977), Queen Elizabeth in ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'' (1977),<ref>{{cite web |title=Maggie Smith Superb in Molnar |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/11/archives/maggie-smith-superb-in-molnar.html |website=New York Times |date=11 June 1977 |access-date=29 September 2024 |last1=Eder |first1=Richard }}</ref><ref name=cbc2012 /> Rosalind in ''[[As You Like It]]'' and [[Lady Macbeth]] in ''[[Macbeth]]'' (1978).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Billington |first1=Michael |title=Maggie Smith found a clarity on stage that in some ways surpassed her screen work |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/sep/28/maggie-smith-found-a-clarity-on-stage-that-in-some-ways-surpassed-her-screen-work |website=The Guardian |access-date=29 September 2024 |date=28 September 2024}}</ref> Smith would return to Broadway in [[Tom Stoppard]]'s original play ''[[Night and Day (play)|Night and Day]]'' as Ruth Carson in 1979.<ref>{{cite web |title=Theater: Stoppard's 'Night and Day' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/28/archives/theater-stoppards-night-and-day-much-talk.html |website=New York Times |date=28 November 1979 |access-date=29 September 2024 |last1=Kerr |first1=Walter }}</ref> The play concerns a confrontation between British diplomat and an African leader over a local uprising that has attracted much media coverage. The diplomat's wife observes everyone else's behaviour throughout. The play received mixed reviews with [[Walter Kerr]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praising Smith's performance while critiquing the characters writing, "Which leaves us, theatrically and dramatically, where we began, with Miss Smith. The actress can, and does, do wonders. But she can't single‐handedly turn night into day."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/28/archives/theater-stoppards-night-and-day-much-talk.html|title= Theater: Stoppard's 'Night and Day'|website=[[The New York Times]]|date= 28 November 1979|access-date= 20 June 2021|last1= Kerr|first1= Walter}}</ref> Smith received her second [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]] nomination.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/?q=Maggie%20Smith |title=Nominees |work=Tony Awards |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref>

=== 1980–1999: Established actress ===
[[File:Alan Bennett 22 Allan Warren.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Smith acted in numerous [[Alan Bennett]] projects, including ''[[Talking Heads (British TV series)|Talking Heads]]''.]]

For her role on television as Mrs Silly in [[All for Love (British TV series)|''All for Love'']] (1983) she received the first of her four [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] BAFTA TV Award nominations. In 1987 she starred as Susan in ''A Bed Among the Lentils'', part of [[Alan Bennett]]'s ''[[Talking Heads (British TV series)|Talking Heads]]'' series, receiving a second BAFTA TV nomination. In 1981 Smith starred in the [[Merchant Ivory Productions|Merchant Ivory film]] ''[[Quartet (1981 film)|Quartet]]'' alongside [[Alan Bates]] and [[Isabelle Adjani]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/25/movies/ivory-s-quartet-based-on-rhys-novel.html|title=Ivory's 'Quartet', Based on Rhys Novel|website= [[The New York Times]]|date=25 October 1981 |access-date= 4 June 2024 |last1=Canby |first1=Vincent }}</ref> The film premiered at the [[1981 Cannes Film Festival|34th Cannes Film Festival]] where it received positive reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/quartet-1981/|title= Quarter|website= Metacritic|access-date= 4 June 2024}}</ref> Smith received her sixth [[BAFTA]] Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance as Lois Heidler.<ref name="BAFTA322"/> Smith also played the goddess [[Thetis]] in ''[[Clash of the Titans (1981 film)|Clash of the Titans]]'' (1981). In 1982 she starred as Daphne Castle in the locked-room mystery film ''[[Evil Under the Sun (1982 film)|Evil Under the Sun]]'' opposite Peter Ustinov, [[Jane Birkin]] and [[Diana Rigg]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/987/clash-of-the-titans#overview|title= Clash of the Titans (1981)|website= TCM|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref> The following year, she appeared in the film ''[[Better Late Than Never (1983 film)|Better Late Than Never]]'' alongside [[David Niven]] and [[Art Carney]].{{CN|date=February 2025}}

She won her second Best Actress [[BAFTA Film Awards]] for her role as Joyce Chilvers in the 1984 [[black comedy]] ''[[A Private Function]]'' with [[Michael Palin]]. Three pigs were used in the filming of ''A Private Function'' all named Betty. Producer [[Mark Shivas]] was advised by Intellectual Animals UK that the pigs used should be female and six months old, so as to not be too large or aggressive. However, the pigs were "unpredictable and often quite dangerous". During the filming of one of the kitchen scenes, Smith was hemmed in by one of the pigs, and needed to vault over the back of it in order to escape.<ref>{{cite news|title=Story Of The Scene: 'A Private Function', Malcolm Mowbray, 1984|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/story-of-the-scene-a-private-function-malcolm-mowbray-1984-815022.html|work=The Independent|first=Roger|last=Clarke|date=25 April 2008|access-date=28 June 2009}}</ref> She also starred in the 1984 Hungarian–American film ''[[Lily in Love]]'' with [[Christopher Plummer]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-05-ca-9233-story.html |title=Lily in Love for the indulgent |work=Los Angeles Times |date=5 July 1985 |access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref>

According to Smith's biographer, she referred to the film as "the ghoulash" and admitted to not understanding the Hungarian director's direction. She also called her co-star "Christopher Bummer".<ref>''Maggie Smith: A Biography'' by Michael Coveney, St. Martin's Griffin, 2015, page 180.</ref> She won her third and fourth ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Award for Best Actress, for her role as [[Virginia Woolf]] in [[Edna O'Brien]]'s play, ''Virginia'' (1981) and as Millament in ''[[The Way of the World]]'' (1984). She starred in the 1987 London production of ''[[Lettice and Lovage]]'' alongside [[Margaret Tyzack]], receiving an [[Olivier Award]] nomination. She reprised the role in 1990, when it transferred to [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]], and won the [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]]. The play was written specifically for her by the playwright [[Peter Shaffer]]. In his [[New York Times]] review, [[Frank Rich]] wrote, "There is only one Maggie Smith, but audiences get at least three of her in ''Lettice and Lovage,'' the Peter Shaffer comedy that has brought this spellbinding actress back to Broadway after an indecently long absence and that has the shrewd sense to keep her glued to center stage."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/26/theater/review-theater-one-and-many-maggie-smiths.html|title= Review/Theater; One and Many Maggie Smiths|website= [[The New York Times]]|date= 26 March 1990|access-date= 19 June 2021|last1= Rich|first1= Frank}}</ref>

[[File:James Ivory (1991.09).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Smith acted in [[James Ivory]]'s ''[[A Room with a View (1985 film)|A Room with a View]]'' (1986).]]

Smith portrayed Charlotte Bartlett in the [[Merchant Ivory Productions|Merchant Ivory Production]] of ''[[A Room with a View (1985 film)|A Room with a View]]'' (1985). The film  received universal acclaim earning eight [[Academy Award]] nominations, including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. The film also starred [[Helena Bonham Carter]], [[Julian Sands]], [[Daniel Day-Lewis]], [[Dame Judi Dench]], [[Simon Callow]] and [[Denholm Elliott]]. Smith earned her fifth Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] and won her second [[Golden Globe Award]] and her third [[British Academy Film Award]] for Best Actress. Smith won her fourth [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA Film Awards for Best Actress]] for the title role in the 1987 film ''[[The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne]]'', directed by [[Jack Clayton]].<ref name="BAFTA322"/> [[Pauline Kael]] wrote: "Clayton is a felicitous choice to direct a character study film about a woman's rage against the Church for her wasted life. His first feature was ''[[Room at the Top (1959 film)|Room at the Top]]'' with [[Simone Signoret]] and he made ''[[The Innocents (1961 film)|The Innocents]]'' with Deborah Kerr and ''[[The Pumpkin Eater]]'' with [[Anne Bancroft]] – he knows how to show women's temperatures and their mind-body inter-actions. Maggie Smith becomes the essence of [[spinster]] – she makes you feel the ghastliness of knowing you're a figure of fun."<ref name= Kael>Kael, Pauline. ''Hooked'', pp. 410–411.</ref>

In the early 1990s, Smith appeared in various box-office comedies. In 1991 Smith appeared as Granny Wendy in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s 1991 film ''[[Hook (film)|Hook]]'', a fantasy adventure film based on the [[Peter Pan]] character. The film starred [[Robin Williams]] as Pan, [[Dustin Hoffman]] as Hook and [[Julia Roberts]] as [[Tinker Bell]]. The film was a financial success, making $300 million at the box office.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0102057/|title= Hook – Box Office Mojo|website= Boxofficemojo|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref> In 1992 Smith appeared as Mother Superior in the [[Whoopi Goldberg]] comedy film ''[[Sister Act]]'' and its sequel, ''[[Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit]]'' (1993).<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Sister Act'' cast: Where are they now?|first=Jami |last=Ganz |url=https://ew.com/movies/sister-act-where-are-they-now/|date=2 February 2023 |access-date=21 January 2024 |website=EW.com}}</ref> Smith also received a third [[British Academy Television Award]] nomination for her role as Mrs. Mabel Pettigrew in the 1992 TV film ''[[Memento Mori]]'',<ref name="BAFTA322"/> and her first [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nomination for her role as Violet Venable in the 1993 [[PBS]] television film ''[[Suddenly, Last Summer]]''. In 1993 she portrayed [[Lady Bracknell]] in [[Oscar Wilde]]'s comic play ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]'' at the [[Aldwych Theatre]] in the [[West End theatre|West End]], receiving her fourth [[Olivier Award]] nomination. The following year she starred in [[Edward Albee]]'s ''[[Three Tall Women]]'' for which she garnered critical acclaim. Theatre critic Paul Taylor for ''[[The Independent]]'' wrote, "Maggie Smith has to be seen to be believed. The sudden subsidings into wretched senile tears; the frustrated, dismissive flappings of her arm as her mind gropes impotently for a mislaid fact; the comic cunning with which she tries to cover over her patches of blankness; the beadily aggressive suspicion and the moments of alert cackling triumph – Smith's performance which, at the moment, is firmly on the right side of caricature, captures all this and more."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/review-theatre-three-tall-women-wyndham-s-theatre-london-1575556.html|title= REVIEW:Theatre Three Tall Women Wyndham's Theatre, London|website= [[The Independent]]|first=Paul |last=Taylor |date=1 October 1995|access-date= 19 June 2021}}</ref> She received her record fifth [[Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress|''Evening Standard'' Theatre Award for Best Actress]] for her performance.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/28/arts/albee-s-tall-women-wins-award-in-london.html|title= Albee's 'Tall Women' Wins Award in London|work= The New York Times|date= 28 November 1994|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref>

Smith acted in the film adaptation of ''[[The Secret Garden (1993 film)|The Secret Garden]]'' (1993) directed by [[Agnieszka Holland]]. The film was a critical success and Smith in particular was praised for her performance as Mrs. Medlock earning a [[British Academy Film Award]] nomination for [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actress]]. In 1995 Smith portrayed the Duchess of York in another film adaptation this time of [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Richard III (1995 film)|Richard III]]'' (1995) starring [[Ian McKellen]] in the titular role. The film adapts the play's story and characters to a setting based on 1930s Britain, with Richard depicted as a fascist plotting to usurp the throne. The film also starred [[Annette Bening]], [[Jim Broadbent]], [[Robert Downey Jr.]], [[Nigel Hawthorne]] and [[Kristin Scott Thomas]].<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/richardiii.htm|title= Richard III (R)|newspaper= [[The Washington Post]]|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref> Smith also starred in another film by Holland titled ''[[Washington Square (film)|Washington Square]]'' (1997), playing the incurably foolish Aunt Lavinia Penniman. She won her fifth BAFTA Film Awards, this time for [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actress]], for the 1999 film ''[[Tea with Mussolini]]'',<ref name="BAFTA322"/> in which she played Lady Hester Random opposite [[Cher]], [[Joan Plowright]] and Judi Dench. She also starred in ''[[The Last September (film)|The Last September]]'' opposite Michael Gambon and the film ''[[Curtain Call (1998 film)|Curtain Call]]'' with Michael Caine in the same year.{{CN|date=February 2025}}

In 1996 Smith appeared in the comedy film ''[[The First Wives Club]]'' alongside [[Goldie Hawn]], [[Diane Keaton]] and [[Bette Midler]]. In 1997 Smith starred in another Albee play, ''[[A Delicate Balance (play)|A Delicate Balance]]'', opposite [[Eileen Atkins]]. She received her fifth Olivier Award nomination for her performance as the witty, alcoholic Claire. Matt Wolf of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote, "This actress [Smith] continues to get laughs where no one else ever would ... but she can be as revealing when quiet: admitting, sad-eyed, that 'time happens' or sending the audience out for the first intermission on a note of doomy suspense."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1997/legit/reviews/a-delicate-balance-7-1117329375/|title= A Delicate Balance – Review|website= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Matt|last=Wolf|date= 2 November 1997|access-date= 19 June 2021}}</ref> In 1999 she gained critical acclaim for her performance as Miss Mary Shepherd in [[Alan Bennett]]'s drama ''[[The Lady in the Van]]''. For her performance, she received her sixth [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress]] nomination. That same year, Smith starred in the [[BBC]] television adaptation of the [[Charles Dickens]]' novel ''[[David Copperfield (1999 film)|David Copperfield]]'' alongside [[Daniel Radcliffe]]. Smith portrayed [[Betsey Trotwood]] for which she received a [[British Academy Television Awards]] and her second Primetime Emmy Award nominations.<ref name="BAFTA322"/>

===2000–2009: ''Harry Potter'' and other roles===
From 2001 to 2011, Smith played Professor [[Minerva McGonagall]] in the [[Harry Potter (film series)|''Harry Potter'' film series]]. Smith and [[Robbie Coltrane]], who played [[Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]], had been requested for the film by author [[J. K. Rowling]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Hugh |title=Author's favourites are chosen for Potter film |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1352721/Authors-favourites-are-chosen-for-Potter-film.html |access-date=27 September 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=14 August 2000}}</ref> Smith reunited with Radcliffe, who played the titular role of [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]]. Smith appeared in seven of the eight films.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2020/08/13/harry-potter-movies-ranked-box-office-jk-rowling-emma-watson-daniel-radcliffe/?sh=5bb89ce352da|title= Every 'Harry Potter' Movie Ranked By Worldwide Box Office|website= Forbes|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-movies-box-office-profit-explained/|title= How Much Of A Profit The Harry Potter Movies Made At The Box Office|website= ScreenRant|date= 28 June 2023|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref>

In 2016 while promoting ''The Lady in the Van'', Smith shared her experiences working on the ''Harry Potter'' films and working with [[Alan Rickman]]. "He [Rickman] was such a terrific actor, and that was such a terrific character that he played, and it was a joy to be with him. We used to laugh together because we ran out of reaction shots. They were always – when everything had been done and the children were finished, they would turn the camera around and we'd have to do various reaction shots of amazement or sadness and things. And we used to say we'd got to about number 200-and-something and we'd run out of knowing what to do when the camera came around on us. But he was a joy."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/02/23/467802382/maggie-smith-on-the-pressures-of-acting-you-want-so-much-to-get-it-right|title= Maggie Smith on the Pressures of Acting: 'You Want So Much To Get It Right'|website= [[NPR]]|date=23 February 2016|access-date= 26 October 2020}}</ref>

[[File:Dame Maggie Smith-cropped (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Smith, in [[Kensington Gardens]], filming ''[[Capturing Mary]]'' (2007)]]
In 2001, Smith appeared in the British ensemble murder mystery ''[[Gosford Park]]'', which was directed by [[Robert Altman]]. The film's cast included [[Michael Gambon]], [[Helen Mirren]], Kristin Scott Thomas, [[Eileen Atkins]], [[Emily Watson]], [[Charles Dance]], [[Richard E. Grant]], [[Derek Jacobi]] and [[Stephen Fry]]. Her portrayal as the haughty Constance, Countess of Trentham earned Smith her sixth Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] alongside Mirren. The film premiered at the 2001 [[London Film Festival]], where it received critical acclaim from critics, including [[Roger Ebert]], who awarded it his highest rating of four stars, describing the story as "such a joyous and audacious achievement, it deserves comparison with his [Robert Altman's] very best movies."<ref name="ebert">{{cite web |last= Ebert |first= Roger |author-link= Roger Ebert |url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/educating-rita-1983 | title= Educating Rita | date= 28 October 1983 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | access-date= 21 May 2011 }}</ref>

In 2002 she starred in the film ''[[Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (film)|Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood]]'' alongside [[Sandra Bullock]] and [[Ellen Burstyn]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/maggie-smith-in-divine-secrets-of-the-ya-ya-sisterhood-14953/|title= Maggie Smith in "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood"|magazine= Rolling Stone|date= 4 June 2002|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref> That same year, Smith reunited with Dame Judi Dench for [[David Hare (playwright)|David Hare]]'s stage play ''[[The Breath of Life (play)|The Breath of Life]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2002/oct/16/theatre.artsfeatures3|title= The Breath of Life|website= The Guardian|date= 16 October 2002|access-date= 3 June 2024|last1= Billington|first1= Michael}}</ref> In 2003, Smith received her first [[Primetime Emmy Award]] in the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie|Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie]] category for her role as Mrs. Emily Delahunty in the [[HBO]] television film ''[[My House in Umbria]]''. She also received her 8th Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the television film.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/shows/my-house-umbria|title= My House in Umbria – Emmy Awards Nominations, and Wins|website= Emmy Awards|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref> She also acted with Judi Dench in the film ''[[Ladies in Lavender]]'' (2004) directed by [[Charles Dance]].{{CN|date=February 2025}} She toured Australia in [[Alan Bennett]]'s ''[[Talking Heads (British TV series)|Talking Heads]]'' in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p8lht|title= Bed Among the Lentils|website= [[BBC News]]|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref> In 2005, she starred as Grace Hawkins alongside [[Rowan Atkinson]] and Kristin Scott Thomas in the black comedy ''[[Keeping Mum]]''. Smith also appeared in the British costume drama ''[[Becoming Jane]]'' (2007), a film that depicts the early life of [[Jane Austen]], played by [[Anne Hathaway]].{{CN|date=February 2025}}

In 2007 she starred in a revival of [[Edward Albee]]'s stage play ''[[The Lady from Dubuque]]'' which ran at the [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]] in the [[West End theatre|West End]].<ref name="Variety,DBenedict2007">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2007/legit/reviews/the-lady-from-dubuque-1200509537/ |title= The Lady from Dubuque|website= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=David|last=Benedict|date= 21 March 2007|access-date= 26 October 2020}}</ref> David Benedict of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' criticised the production but praised Smith, writing, "The exception is Maggie Smith, who arrives in the last minute of the first act and then dominates the second. Yet even the magnetically watchable Smith cannot save the evening as a whole."<ref name="Variety,DBenedict2007" /> In 2007 she also starred in another HBO television film, ''[[Capturing Mary]]'' alongside [[Ruth Wilson]] for which she was nominated for her fourth Primetime Emmy Award.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/shows/capturing-mary|title= Capturing Mary – Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins|website= Television Academy|access-date= 3 June 2024}}</ref> She appeared in [[Julian Fellowes]]'s fantasy drama film ''[[From Time to Time (film)|From Time to Time]]'' in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last=Felperin |first=Leslie |date=19 October 2009 |title=From Time to Time |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/from-time-to-time-1200476798/ |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=Variety}}</ref> In 2010, she played Mrs. Docherty in period fantasy comedy film ''[[Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang]]'' opposite [[Emma Thompson]].{{CN|date=February 2025}}

===2010–2015: ''Downton Abbey'' and other roles===
[[File:Highclere Castle (April 2011) 2.jpg|thumb|left|Smith starred as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in ''[[Downton Abbey]]'' from 2010 to 2015.]]
From 2010 to 2015 Smith appeared as [[List of Downton Abbey characters#Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham|Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham]], in the British period drama ''[[Downton Abbey]]''. The show became a cultural phenomenon, with her performance becoming a fan favourite. This role won her three [[Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]] as well as a [[Golden Globe Award]] and four [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Dame Maggie Smith Receives Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series |work=PBS.org |url=https://www.pbs.org/about/blogs/news/dame-maggie-smith-receives-screen-actors-guild-award-for-outstanding-performance-in-a-drama-series/ |date=18 January 2014 |access-date=19 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/maggie-smith |title=Maggie Smith |website=Golden Globe Awards |access-date=22 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/maggie-smith |title=Dame Maggie Smith {{!}} Emmy Awards |work=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=22 May 2012}}</ref> In a March 2015 interview with Joe Utichi in ''[[The Sunday Times]]'', Smith announced that the sixth season of ''Downton Abbey'' would be her last (it was in fact the last to be produced).<ref>{{cite news|first=Joe|last=Utichi|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/newsreview/features/article1524818.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302021506/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/newsreview/features/article1524818.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 March 2015 |title=Maggie Smith: Sorry, dear, but a dowager countess does not do selfies|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]]|location=London|date=3 March 2015 |access-date=23 March 2015}}</ref>

In 2012 she played Muriel Donnelly in the British comedy ''[[The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel]]'' alongside Judi Dench, [[Dev Patel]], [[Bill Nighy]], [[Tom Wilkinson]] and Penelope Wilton. The film was distributed by [[Fox Searchlight]] and received positive reviews. She received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for the role. The film became a surprise box-office hit following its international release and was such a financial success; it spawned the sequel ''[[The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel]]'' in 2015. Also in 2012 Smith starred in [[Dustin Hoffman]]'s directorial debut, ''[[Quartet (2012 film)|Quartet]]'', based on [[Ronald Harwood]]'s play.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://entertainment.time.com/2012/12/21/quartet-the-least-exotic-country-retirement-home/|title= Quartet: The Least Exotic Country Retirement Home|website= Time Magazine|date= 21 December 2012|access-date= 4 June 2024|last1= Pols|first1= Mary}}</ref> The film co-starred [[Tom Courtenay]], [[Pauline Collins]], [[Billy Connolly]] and Michael Gambon. The film premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] to positive reviews and garnered her a 10th Golden Globe nomination. The following year, Smith starred in the romantic comedy ''[[My Old Lady (film)|My Old Lady]]'' (2014) alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and [[Kevin Kline]].{{CN|date=February 2025}}
Smith participated in the filmed event ''[[National Theatre Live: 50 Years On Stage]]'' (2013), along with many actors of the stage, including [[Michael Gambon]] and Judi Dench. The programme features a variety of live performances from productions by the [[Royal National Theatre]] from the past five decades:{{CN|date=February 2025}} The programme features a clip from the 1964 production of ''[[Hay Fever (play)|Hay Fever]]'' by [[Noël Coward]], starring Smith and [[Anthony Nichols]], which introduces Smith giving a live monologue from ''[[The Beaux' Stratagem]]'' by [[George Farquhar]]. [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote of the event: "Obviously it was moving to see legendary actors, either through archival footage or live performance, repeating past successes."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2013/nov/04/national-theatre-50th-birthday-highlights|title= National theatre's 50th birthday: what were your highlights?|first=Michael|last=Billington|website= [[The Guardian]]|date= 4 November 2013|access-date= 9 June 2021}}</ref>

In 2015 she received rapturous reviews for her performance in the film ''[[The Lady in the Van (film)|The Lady in the Van]]'' (2015) which debuted at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2015/film/awards/maggie-smith-oscar-buzz-lady-van-1201601926/|title= Maggie Smith Earns Oscar Buzz for 'Lady in the Van,' But It Won't Be Easy|website= Variety|date= 6 November 2015|access-date= 4 June 2024}}</ref> [[Kate Muir]] of ''[[The Times]]'' praised Smith's performance by writing, "Smith delivers a compelling performance...as [[Alan Bennett]]'s play comes to the big screen 15 years after it premiered at the [[Royal National Theatre]]."<ref name="KMuir">{{cite web|first=Kate |last=Muir |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/theatre-dance/article/the-lady-in-the-van-at-toronto-film-festival-jkz72zvgkpv |title=The Lady in the Van at Toronto Film Festival |work=[[The Times]] |date=14 September 2015 |access-date=26 December 2016}}</ref> Smith received a [[Golden Globe Award]] and [[British Academy Film Award]] nominations for her performance. On 30 October 2015, Smith appeared on BBC's ''[[The Graham Norton Show]]'', her first appearance on a chat show in 42 years.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://playbill.com/article/maggie-smith-to-make-first-british-talk-show-appearance-in-four-decades-com-367112|title= Maggie Smith to Make First British Talk-Show Appearance in Four Decades|website= Playbill|access-date= 4 June 2024}}</ref> During the show, Smith discussed her appearance alongside [[Alex Jennings]] in the [[comedy-drama]] film ''The Lady in the Van'', which was directed by [[Nicholas Hytner]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06mzk9c |title=The Graham Norton Show, Series 18, Episode 6 |publisher=BBC One |date=30 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Graham-Norton-Dame-Maggie-Smith-makes-chat/story-28084513-detail/story.html |title=The Graham Norton Show: Dame Maggie Smith makes first chat show appearance in 42 years |newspaper=[[Grimsby Telegraph]] |date=30 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031124121/http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Graham-Norton-Dame-Maggie-Smith-makes-chat/story-28084513-detail/story.html |archive-date=31 October 2015}}</ref>

===2016–2024: Return to theatre and final roles ===
In 2018 Smith starred in a British documentary titled ''[[Nothing Like a Dame (film)|Nothing Like a Dame]]'', directed by [[Roger Michell]], which documents conversations between actresses Smith, [[Judi Dench]], [[Eileen Atkins]] and [[Joan Plowright]], which were interspersed with scenes from their careers on film and stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/09/11-delightful-things-we-learned-from-tea-with-the-dames.html|title= 11 Delightful Things We Learned from ''Tea with the Dames''|first=Maggie|last=Fremont|website= Vulture|date= 20 September 2018|access-date= 27 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/10/01/651797682/tag-yourself-im-a-maggie-a-tea-with-the-dames-taxonomy|title= Review: Which Tea with the Dames Are you?|website= [[NPR]]|date= October 2018|access-date= 27 October 2020|last1= Weldon|first1= Glen}}</ref> The film was released in the United States as ''Tea with the Dames''. [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' gave the film a five out of five star rating, declaring it an "outrageously funny film".<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/apr/26/nothing-like-a-dame-review-judi-dench-eileen-atkins-maggie-smith-joan-plowright|work=[[The Guardian]]|title=Nothing Like a Dame review – Judi Dench and Maggie Smith trade brutal banter|access-date=12 December 2018|date=26 April 2018|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|authorlink=Peter Bradshaw}}</ref> Guy Lodge of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film a "richly enjoyable gabfest" but that the film was "hardly vital cinema".<ref name="var-review">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/tea-with-the-dames-review-1202950874/|work=Variety|title=Film Review: 'Tea With the Dames'|access-date=12 December 2018|date=21 September 2018|last=Lodge|first=Guy}}</ref> That same year, Smith reprised her role as Professor Minerva McGonagall by voicing the character in ''[[Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery]]'', a [[role-playing video game]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-game-star-maggie-smith-michael-gambon-1099961/|title= Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon to Reprise Roles for Harry Potter Mobile Game|website= The Hollywood Reporter|date= 5 April 2018|access-date= 26 August 2024}}</ref> In September 2019, a continuation of the ''Downton Abbey'' series in form of a feature-length film was in theatres entitled simply, ''[[Downton Abbey (film)|Downton Abbey]]''. The film was a financial success and earned $194.3 million at the box office.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2399634945/|title= Downton Abbey|website= Box Office Mojo|access-date= 26 October 2020}}</ref> She reprised her role as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in [[Simon Curtis (filmmaker)|Simon Curtis]]'s 2022 historical-drama ''[[Downton Abbey: A New Era]]'' alongside [[Hugh Bonneville]], [[Elizabeth McGovern]] and [[Michelle Dockery]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://ew.com/movies/michelle-dockery-on-filming-that-scene-maggie-smith-downton-abbey-a-new-era/|title= Michelle Dockery on filming THAT emotional scene with Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey: A New Era|magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date= 4 June 2024}}</ref>

In April 2019, after an 11-year absence from theatre, Smith returned to the stage in ''A German Life'' as [[Brunhilde Pomsel]] at the [[Bridge Theatre]] in London. The new work, by [[Christopher Hampton]], is a one-woman solo play. In its inaugural incarnation Smith gave an extended monologue as Pomsel, an elderly German woman who, in her youth, wound up working as a secretary for [[Joseph Goebbels]] at the [[Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda|Ministry of Propaganda]]. [[Jonathan Kent (director)|Jonathan Kent]] took the directorial role. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine's theatre critic praised Smith's performance, writing, "It's a performance that combines the knowingness of hindsight with the naivety of youth, blasé enough to catch you off-guard when the magnitude of events suddenly cuts through".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2019/legit/reviews/german-life-review-maggie-smith-1203189853/ |title= London Theater Review: Maggie Smith in 'A German Life'|first=Matt|last=Trueman|magazine=Variety|date= 15 April 2019|access-date= 19 June 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210419102251/https://variety.com/2019/legit/reviews/german-life-review-maggie-smith-1203189853/ |archive-date=19 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Matt Wolf of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "[Smith's performance] represents a new high in a six-decade career with no shortage of peaks", and added "The audience knows it is witnessing something special".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/theater/maggie-smith-a-german-life.html |title= On the London Stage, 'Top Girls' and a Grande Dame|website= [[The New York Times]]|date= 18 April 2019|access-date= 19 June 2021|last1= Wolf|first1= Matt}}</ref> Her performance won her a record sixth Best Actress ''Evening Standard'' award.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paskett |first1=Zoe |title=The 2019 Evening Standard Theatre Awards winners in full |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-winners-2019-a4294246.html |website=Evening Standard |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220408174446/https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-winners-2019-a4294246.html |archive-date=8 April 2022|date=25 November 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-winners-2019-a4294246.html|title=Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2019: Dame Maggie Smith and Andrew Scott win top acting prizes |newspaper=[[Evening Standard]]|first=Zoe|last=Paskett |date=25 November 2019 |access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref>

In 2021 Smith starred in the [[Netflix]] adaptation of the children's book by [[Matt Haig]] of the same name, ''[[A Boy Called Christmas]]''. The film was directed by [[Gil Kenan]] and also starred [[Sally Hawkins]], [[Kristen Wiig]], [[Jim Broadbent]] and [[Toby Jones]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kristen-wiig-sally-hawkins-maggie-smith-join-a-boy-called-christmas-1202042|title= Kristen Wiig, Sally Hawkins, Maggie Smith Join 'A Boy Called Christmas'|first=Alex|last=Ritman|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date= 15 April 2019|access-date= 25 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/netflix-a-boy-called-christmas-jim-broadbent-sally-hawkins-maggie-smith-kristen-wiig-studiocanal-blueprint-1203189563/|title= Netflix Boards 'A Boy Called Christmas' With Jim Broadbent, Kristen Wiig in Ensemble Cast|website= Variety|first=Stewart|last=Clarke|date= 15 April 2019|access-date= 26 October 2020}}</ref> In 2023 Smith starred as Lily Fox in an Irish drama film, ''[[The Miracle Club]]'', with [[Kathy Bates]] and [[Laura Linney]]. The film's plot is being described as a "joyful and hilarious" journey of a group of riotous working-class women from Dublin, whose pilgrimage to [[Lourdes]] in France leads them to discover each other's friendship and their own personal miracles."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/maggie-smith-kathy-bates-laura-linney-unite-miracle-club-1298960|title= Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Laura Linney Unite for 'The Miracle Club'|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|first=Alex|last=Ritman|date= 17 June 2020|access-date= 26 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/maggie-smith-kathy-bates-laura-linney-the-miracle-club-1234638006/|title= Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates and Laura Linney Join 'The Miracle Club'|website=Variety|first=Naman|last=Ramachandran|date= 17 June 2020|access-date= 27 October 2020}}</ref> Smith was announced as starring in the film version of [[Christopher Hampton]]'s ''A German Life'', reprising the role she originated onstage in 2019 in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/global/maggie-smith-christopher-hampton-a-german-life-1234842203/|title= Maggie Smith Set to Star in Film Version of Christopher Hampton's 'A German Life' (EXCLUSIVE)|website= Variety|first=Kaleem|last=Aftab|date= 30 November 2020|access-date= 30 November 2020}}</ref>

In October 2023 Smith was revealed as one of the faces for the [[Loewe (fashion brand)|Loewe]]'s SS24 pre-collection.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/fashion/celebrity/a45624391/maggie-smith-loewe-campaign/|title= Actor Maggie Smith (aka Professor McGonagall) is the fab new face of Loewe|website= Cosmopolitan|date= 24 October 2023|access-date= 24 October 2023}}</ref>