Editing Maggie Smith (section)

===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>