Editing Maggie Smith (section)

=== 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>