Rare Details From Maggie Smith's Personal Life Are Shedding New Light On The Actress

Maggie Smith’s star-studded ambitions began at an early age when her family moved to Oxford. After graduating High School in 1951, she immediately joined the Oxford Playhouse School in the hopes of kickstarting her acting career. And it didn't take long for just that to happen. In 1952, at the age of just 17, Smith made her stage debut playing Viola in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Like many young people with fame on the brain, Maggie moved to New York in the mid-’50s. And there, under the dazzling lights of Broadway, she gained a place on the playbill for the comedy revue New Faces of 1956. The show ran for six months, with cleverly crafted sketches and songs being performed by Smith and other rising stars of the day. With Broadway under her belt, it was time to get her face on the screen.

In 1956 Maggie secured her first film role in Child in the House, though it was uncredited. She struggled to break into the business, but in 1958, she finally succeeded with the crime film Nowhere to Go. The noir film was well received, and critics heralded Smith's performance as "impressively fresh and touching," especially since it was her first big-screen role.

Though she had some trouble breaking into Hollywood, that certainly wasn’t the case when it came to the theater. She became a well-known stage actress at the National Theatre of Great Britain in the '60s, and even acted opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in Shakespeare's Othello. Surprisingly, Smith and Olivier's relationship wasn't as electric as their on-stage presence.

In fact, Smith revealed in a documentary that Olivier's harsh criticism left her "terrified." And it's easy to understand why! During their time together in Othello, Olivier once remarked that Smith's delivery of lines was so slow that she “bored him off the stage.” Despite a rocky start alongside one of theater's greats, Smith went on to become such an accomplished actress that she achieved something only a handful of other actors have: the Triple Crown of acting. That's a Tony, Emmy, and an Academy Award. She’s an overachiever, too, since she actually has multiple Emmys and Oscars.

Although Smith has been open about preferring stage work to screen, her presence in the world of cinema is not to be sniffed at. Maggie has made her mark in some of the most beloved films of the last 50 years: Clash of the Titans, The Secret Garden, Hook, Sister Act, Gosford Park, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel are only a few examples. 

Stage — tick. Hollywood — tick. Television — also tick! That's right — Maggie also became a TV sensation. And at the age of 75, no less! Her role in Downton Abbey as Lady Violet Crawley became an instant accolade for the already well-established star. For her performance, Maggie won three Emmy Awards, a SAG award, and her third Golden Globe award. Talk about talent!

They say only the best can tackle Shakespeare, and that’s what Maggie did from the beginning. She’s acted in professional productions of Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others, though she’s admitted, “Shakespeare is not my thing.” Shakespeare may not be your favorite, Maggie, but you sure do pull it off! It was one Twentieth Century Fox production that really stole the show in Smith's career, though.

For her performance as the title character in 1969's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Maggie was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress — her very first Oscar! Her performance was lauded as “one of those technically stunning, emotionally distant performances” that only a British actor can pull off. And as the '70s rolled around, Smith's career was only going from strength to strength.

The 1970s saw Smith leave the National Theatre, but by no means was she leaving the world of acting. By 1978, Smith was still as popular as ever on and off the stage and screen. She even won another Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actress, for her performance in the comedy/drama California Suite. Her personal life in the '70s also took an unexpected turn.

By this time, Smith could pretty much pick and choose whichever roles she wanted, and that luck extended to her love life, too. In 1975 she returned to former flame playwright Beverley Cross after leaving her then-husband Sir Robert Stephens. She said, "When you meet again someone you should have married in the first place, it's like a script. That kind of luck is too good to be true."

Just two months after her divorce from Stephens, Maggie and Beverly tied the knot and stayed married until his passing in 1998. The loss would have a profound effect on the veteran actress. In an interview with CBS News, Smith revealed how much his death impacted her: "It seems a bit pointless. Going on one's own and not having someone to share it with." She wasn’t left completely alone, however: she has two sons and five grandchildren.

Smith's two sons — Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens — both followed their mother's footsteps into the world of acting. In fact, you may have seen her youngest son, Toby, in the James Bond film Die Another Day as the main antagonist, Gustav Graves. Two years Toby's senior is Chris, who you might have spotted alongside Russell Crowe in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Aside from raising two highly-rated actors, one of Smith’s proudest moments came in 1990, when she was raised to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. She received the title for her services to the performing arts — a worthy reason, indeed! Smith was also honored by the former monarch in 2014 in recognition of her 60 years in theater, cinema, and television during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Despite her prolific career that spans over half a century, she is best known for a single role she had later in life: that of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise. Though she said that role “wasn’t what you’d call satisfying,” McGonagall's stern looks and iconic Scottish lilt certainly secured her as a fan favorite! One thing fans may not know, though, is that the Harry Potter films weren’t the first time Smith and Daniel Radcliffe worked together.

Smith and Radcliffe, who played Harry, actually performed together in the 1999 BBC television production of David Copperfield two years before the first Harry Potter film aired. As production of the franchise rolled on, and unbeknownst to the rest of the cast, Smith was faced with a worrying health diagnosis that would rock her personal life.

In 2007 it was reported that Smith had been diagnosed with breast cancer. A fact that she kept from anyone but close friends and family. Despite her health worries, Smith filmed the entirety of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince while undergoing chemotherapy. An enduringly private person through and through, and clearly someone with great strength. And that strength would come in handy in 2015 when Smith was forced to do something she deeply despised.

Given how she liked to keep her personal life private, Maggie Smith's known aversion to talk shows became a well-known fact. But, much to her fans' pleasure, she broke her no-talk-show streak in 2015 when she appeared on The Graham Norton Show. It was her first appearance on a talk program in 42 years, and it did not disappoint! Now in her 80s, she had more than talk shows on her mind.

As well as opening up on talk show host Graham Norton's famous red couch, Smith also appeared in the big-screen adaptation of Alan Bennett's The Lady In The Van. And after 12 years away from the London stage, Smith returned in 2019 with a most ambitious project called A German Life. The 85-year-old actress performed a 100-minute long monologue on stage, an undertaking that won her a record sixth Best Actress Evening Standard award. But there still remains one question that every Smith fan needs an answer to.

If you ask Maggie to choose a favorite — stage or screen? — apparently it’s an easy choice to make. “Theater is basically my favorite medium,” she once said. “I didn’t really feel I was acting in [Harry Potter and Downton Abbey].” In 2019 Smith told the Evening Standard that her role in the Harry Potter franchise didn’t stretch her. And when you consider the span of her career, it's easy to understand where she's coming from.

Whether the role tested Smith or not, now that we’ve seen her embody the character of Professor McGonagall, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. And, charmingly, she’s claimed that being in the Harry Potter movies allowed her to get even closer to her five grandchildren. Given that she was already 66 years old when filming started, and that things wrapped up with the franchise for Smith when she was 75, there wasn't a huge change in her appearance. The same, however, cannot be said for the rest of the cast.

Matthew Lewis's transformation from unassuming teenager to muscular stud inspired the term Neville Longbottoming – or, basically, becoming hot. Lewis remains modest about this feat, though, telling HelloGiggles in 2018, “I never thought in my wildest dreams that one day I would have coined a phrase.” After leaving the Harry Potter movies behind, the heartthrob has been a regular on British TV screens, with performances in gory drama Ripper Street and the more gentle All Creatures Great and Small.

Scarlett Hefner, née Byrne, played the Slytherin witch Pansy Parkinson in the last three Potter movies. It wasn’t the last time she was in a sci-fi series, either, as she went on to star in TNT’S alien invasion drama Falling Skies. And, well, she didn’t suck as Nora Hildegard in The CW’s The Vampire Diaries. Does her new surname sound familiar? That’s probably because she married the son of late Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner in 2019.

True-to-character, James and Oliver Phelps skipped school to audition for the parts of Fred and George Weasley. And perhaps their most memorable scene in the movies was the moment of Fred’s death. Understandably, Oliver was heartbroken at seeing his real-life brother pass away on screen. “I took one look at James on the stretcher and burst into tears,” the actor said. “I can’t even imagine how it would feel to lose him.” Aww.

Tom Felton scooped awards for portraying villain Draco Malfoy – the bully everyone loves to hate. “If young children boo me, that makes my day,” he’s been quoted as saying. In reality, though, Felton couldn’t be more different from Draco. In 2017 he told a young Potter fan, “Do you wanna hear a secret? I’m nice in real life. It’s only Draco that’s mean.”

Coincidentally, Harry Potter’s mean cousin Dudley was played by another Harry – Melling, that is. And the actor dropped so much weight during filming that he nearly lost the role. Yikes! Thankfully, special effects came to the rescue. Melling also played Harry Beltik in The Queen’s Gambit, in case you didn’t recognize him.

Clémence Poésy only appeared briefly in the Potter movies as Fleur Delacour, but she certainly made an impression. And the quarter-Veela must have captivated talent scouts as well as audiences, as she’s now a successful actor on French television. Poésy fans can see her in dark drama The Tunnel and in 2021’s En thérapie. Oh, and you may have spotted the star in Tenet, too.

Remember little Colin Creevey and his camera in The Chamber of Secrets? He’s all grown up! Since Colin’s untimely demise, though, his actor, Hugh Mitchell, has been in The Da Vinci Code as young Silas. He’s also popped up in a ton of TV series, and his life’s begun to imitate art. Yep, much like his Harry Potter counterpart, Hugh’s a keen photographer! You can see his work on Instagram.

Luke Youngblood appeared in the first two Harry Potter films as Quidditch commentator Lee Jordan. And just as Lee used his voice to reach a larger audience, Youngblood’s done the same. Since his time on the Harry Potter set, the actor has lent his dulcet tones to various video games and animated TV series. Sounds like he found his calling.

Chris Rankin’s biggest role in front of the camera has probably been as Percy Weasley in the Harry Potter movies. But he’s also tried his hand at things behind the scenes. Rankin was a production coordinator behind seven episodes of TV’s Downton Abbey as well as eight episodes of A Discovery of Witches. Now, that’s a step up from head boy!

Vincent Crabbe – played by Jamie Waylett – was one of Draco’s goons in most of the Harry Potter movies. Sadly, though, a criminal charge cost Waylett his role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. That seemed to spell the end for his career, too, as he hasn’t acted since.

While Dean Thomas wasn’t one of Harry’s inner circle, he did still appear in most of the movies. And in 2016 Alfie Enoch told Entertainment Weekly that he appreciated Dean’s grounding presence, saying, “I always felt Dean was quite funny. He’s like an ordinary guy.” The actor’s other memorable performances? Well, he was Wes in a little show called How to Get Away with Murder. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

If you’re a fan of Fear the Walking Dead, this may come as a surprise. Frank Dillane, who plays Nick, is actually teen Tom Riddle from The Half-Blood Prince. Yes, really! But while both those characters are screen history now, you can get your Dillane fix in 2021’s The Girlfriend Experience.

Miranda Richardson appeared as the manipulative Rita Skeeter in two Harry Potter movies: The Goblet of Fire and The Deathly Hallows – Part 1. And following the end of the movie franchise, she told Behind the Lens that the Potter series is timeless. “I think it’s a great thing to be part of,” Richardson explained in 2011. “I think it’s something that’s gonna last, even though special effects move on at pace.”

Harry’s fellow Gryffindor student Lavender Brown, played by Jessie Cave, featured in the last three Potter films. But Cave herself has branched out since. In addition to acting in various TV shows, she’s now a successful stand-up comedian. Coincidentally, she’s also voicing a character named Belinda Potter in an upcoming animation called, well, The Potters. Funny old world, isn’t it?

The Harry Potter movies were something of a family affair for Bill Weasley star Domhnall Gleeson. Remember Mad-Eye Moody? He was played by Domhnall’s dad, Brendan! And like his pop, the Irish actor has gone from strength to strength ever since. You may have recognized him as General Hux in Star Wars: Episode VIII ‒ The Last Jedi and its follow-up The Rise of Skywalker.

Katie Leung, a.k.a. Cho Chang, has branched out since playing Harry Potter’s romantic interest. More recently, the roles she’s taken – including a part in Jackie Chan’s The Foreigner – have largely honored her Chinese heritage. The star has made these screen appearances memorable and complex. “Just because they have been race-specific doesn’t mean that I’m playing this one-dimensional character,” Leung told the BBC in 2016.

Hagrid’s popularity arguably reaches beyond the Potter books, and the late Robbie Coltrane portrayed the kindly half-giant perfectly on screen. In 2009, though, the British star said that he didn’t recognize himself after the makeup team had finished turning him into the big wizard. Coltrane’s reaction to seeing his reflection? “Good God, who’s that?” Coltrane sadly passed away in October of 2022. No one else could have played Hagrid, and his costars and fans will fondly remember him.

Before Harry Potter, Jason Isaacs already had a string of unforgettable roles under his belt. Playing the detestable Lucius Malfoy just added to the magic. And after his audition, Isaacs got so into the Harry Potter books ‒ which he called “crack” ‒ that he read four of them consecutively. With that kind of passion, it’s no surprise he made such a convincing villain.

Harry Potter regulars Shefali Chowdhury and Afshan Azad played witchy twins Padma and Parvati Patil. And you can still see Azad in front of a camera, although nowadays she’s likely to be striking a pose during modeling shoots. Chowdhury, on the other hand, has been in a number of short films in recent years, including Odilo Fabian – which also stars Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville – and Stephen King adaptation I Am the Doorway.

Gary Oldman brought his undeniable acting chops to the role of Harry’s tragically doomed godfather Sirius Black. But the Oscar-winning Hollywood veteran didn’t think the series was beneath him. Quite the contrary, in fact! In 2016 Oldman told Balitang America, “Being part of Harry Potter is a great thing. It’s a cinematic phenomena, and no one will ever do anything quite like it again or come close to it.”

As Gregory Goyle, Josh Herdman was fearsome indeed. Draco’s goon would have been even scarier, however, if he’d had Herdman’s fighting skills. Yep, the actor took up mixed martial arts in 2016, although he’s still seen on screen to this day. His most notable post-Potter roles include Righteous in 2018’s Robin Hood and as Stan in the British TV series Alex Rider.

Remember Seamus Finnigan? He was the Irish wizard who, well, exploded every so often. And he was portrayed by Devon Murray, who’s only acted in one film since, with an uncredited role in 2018’s Damo & Ivor The Movie. But Murray seems content enough, as one look at his Instagram page proves. “You have made me the happiest person in the world,” he wrote on the social media site in February 2021. Who was he referring to? His newborn son.

The evil Lord Voldemort didn’t just leave a lasting impression on fans. Oh, no – he also had an impact on established actor Ralph Fiennes. You see, in 2019 Fiennes lightheartedly told the BBC’s Newsnight that he wouldn’t want to see anyone else in the role. “I feel a kind of affection for Voldemort,” the Oscar nominee explained. “So, if there was a world in which Voldemort came back, I would be very possessive about wanting to reprise that.”

Aunt Marge didn’t have the biggest role in the Potterverse, but fans will always remember her as the terrible woman who insulted Harry until he turned her into a balloon. And since the movies, actress Pam Ferris has kept busy with TV shows – most notably as Sister Evangelina in Call the Midwife. She has another link to fantasy, too, after portraying Mrs. Faulkner in 2019’s Tolkien – all about the Lord of the Rings author.

Though we love to hate David Bradley’s character Argus Filch, we’re glad that his cat Mrs. Norris wasn’t turned into a, well, purrmanent statue. As for Bradley himself, he’s barely stopped since the Harry Potter movies left theaters. He’s appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger and horror series The Strain, for instance, although you may also recognize him as Walder Frey in Game of Thrones. He’s not averse to voice acting, either, and so you could have heard his vocal talents without even realizing it.

Few villains inspire hate as much as one-time defense against the dark arts teacher Dolores Umbridge. Her actress appears to loathe her, too. Back in 2016, Imelda Staunton told Entertainment Weekly, “I think [Dolores is] a monster and [should] be played as such.” That’s not mincing words! Perhaps Staunton will find it light relief, then, to portray the Queen in season five of The Crown.

Sean Biggerstaff’s last name could almost be a name for a Potterverse wand! Maybe he was destined to play young Quidditch captain Oliver Wood in The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets. And since his Potter days, Biggerstaff’s been in a lot of TV shorts. His next, er, big role, though, is in mysterious upcoming thriller Hector & Himself.

You know Moaning Myrtle, the creepy 14-year-old ghost girl who hung around the Hogwarts restrooms? Well, she was actually played by Shirley Henderson – who was actually in her mid-30s when she appeared in The Chamber of Secrets. Color us shocked! Henderson has more age-appropriate roles under her belt, however – most notably Jude in Bridget Jones’s Baby. She also voiced Babu Frik in Star Wars blockbuster The Rise of Skywalker.

Ginny Weasley’s importance to the Potterverse grew as the movie series went on. She even ended up as – spoiler alert! – Harry Potter’s wife. And since leaving those films behind, Bonnie Wright has practically proved herself to be a Renaissance woman. She’s acted, modeled, and has been behind the camera as both a director and producer for short films. How does she find the time?!

Ian Hart got ahead of the game when he played Professor Quirrell, the host body for Lord Voldemort. So, what’s he doing when he doesn’t have the personification of evil attached to his skull? Well, he’s appearing on British TV, for one. Hart’s added acclaimed alternate history series Noughts + Crosses and crime drama Tin Star to his resume, for example. You may know him best, however, from Netflix’s Viking drama The Last Kingdom.

After the tragic death of Richard Harris, Sir Michael Gambon stepped up to play Albus Dumbledore in his stead. And in 2015 Future Movies asked the veteran actor how he managed to ease back into the role of Hogwarts’ headmaster for Fantastic Beasts. Apparently? It was no biggie. Gambon said, “Well, I don’t have to play anyone, really. I just stick on a beard and play me, so it’s no great feat.” Fair enough!

Natalia Tena has a talent for playing much-loved characters. Her metamorphosing witch alter ego Tonks is a firm fan favorite, as is Osha, her wildling character in Game of Thrones. Can she repeat the process in her mysterious 2021 series Wolfe? Only time will tell, but with Tena’s own chameleonic acting skills, we wouldn’t be surprised.

Evanna Lynch’s charming performance as the eccentric Luna Lovegood won over many – including, it seems, youngsters with autism. “I always get a lot of letters from people with autism who relate to Luna a lot,” Lynch told Insider in 2020. “Obviously, everyone’s very different, and every case of autism is different. But I think that they see that Luna is somebody who doesn’t quite fit in.”

This one may surprise you. Remember the child who played young Tom Riddle in The Chamber of Secrets? Well, that was Christian Coulson, and here he is all grown up! Post-Potter, Coulson’s been landing regular TV work both in the U.K. and the U.S. You may most recognize him, however, for playing music video director Damien George in Nashville.

Rupert Grint seems to still love Ron Weasley. Apparently, he once said of his on-screen alter ego, “The truth is that Ron is my hero. He’s always there for his friends ‒ sometimes belligerently, but there nevertheless. He’s also the comic relief in stressful situations.” And just like Ron, Grint has arachnophobia. Yes, that means he’s struggled to watch the Aragog scenes from The Chamber of Secrets!

Although Hermione Granger was a wallflower, her actress Emma Watson is anything but. Just like Hermione, though, Emma’s well-educated. She’s a campaigner for equal rights, too, though Watson’s cause is women’s issues rather than freeing house elves. And since the Potter movies ended, you’ve probably seen the star as Belle in Disney’s 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast.

If there’s one Harry Potter actor who needs no introduction, it’s Daniel Radcliffe ‒ who, of course, played the famous wizard. We watched him grow into adulthood over the course of the original movies, and it’s safe to say his career has matured with him. DanRad has starred in horror movies, a biopic, a romcom and even a controversial stage show that saw him appear naked. Yikes!

Stanislav Yanevski – a.k.a. Viktor Krum – has bulked up a lot since his Potter days. When’s he’s not pumping iron at the gym, though, he’s still acting, including in the 2011 British film Resistance. Yanevski’s also taken to producing some upcoming projects and occasionally Instagrams Potter-related posts. What a dude.