Maggie Smith Movies and TV Shows: Full Filmography and Biography

If you grew up watching Harry Potter or Downton Abbey, you’ve already spent hours in the company of Maggie Smith. But her career spanned seven decades, two Oscars, and a string of roles that defined British acting at its finest. Whether you’re looking for a complete filmography or just curious about her most famous performances, here’s the full story behind the Maggie Smith movies and TV shows that built a legend.

Number of films: Over 60 · Academy Awards: 2 (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress) · Emmy Awards: 3 · Decades active: 1950s–2024 · Notable TV series: Downton Abbey, Harry Potter films (as Professor McGonagall)

Eight key facts that define the arc of Maggie Smith’s career — from her birth in Ilford to her final bow.

What is Maggie Smith’s most famous role?

Which role earned her an Oscar?

• Her first Academy Award came for Best Actress in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), a performance that cemented her reputation (Wikipedia).
• She won Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978) (Wikipedia).

What is her most iconic TV character?

• Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey, became a cultural phenomenon and earned her an Emmy (Rotten Tomatoes).

What was Maggie Smith’s last film?

What was her final television appearance?

• Her last film role was Lily Fox in The Miracle Club (2023) (Rotten Tomatoes).
• She appeared in Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022), which earned an 87% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes (Rotten Tomatoes).

Did she complete any posthumous releases?

• No posthumous projects have been announced as of early 2025. Her final completed work was The Miracle Club (Rotten Tomatoes).

Who was the love of Maggie Smith’s life?

Did Maggie Smith ever marry? How many times was she married?

• She married actor Robert Stephens in 1967; they divorced in 1975 (Wikipedia).
• Her second husband was playwright Beverley Cross, married in 1975 until his death in 1998 (Wikipedia).
• Smith often described Cross as the love of her life (Wikipedia).

Why are Maggie Smith’s eyes so big?

Is it a medical condition? Did it affect her acting?

• Smith’s prominent eye shape is due to her natural facial structure, not any diagnosed condition like Graves’ disease (Wikipedia).
• Her expressive eyes became a hallmark of her acting, adding intensity to every role (Rotten Tomatoes).

Was Maggie Smith in Titanic?

What role did she play? Which Titanic movie?

• She did not appear in James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) (Wikipedia).
• She starred in the 1996 TV miniseries Titanic as a different character (Wikipedia).
• Confusion may arise from her role in Death on the Nile (1978), which has a ship setting (Wikipedia, list of performances).

What this means: A simple clarification: one of the most-asked questions about Smith’s filmography is answered with a clean “no” — but with a fascinating footnote about the miniseries.

Did Judi Dench go to Maggie Smith’s funeral?

Who attended Maggie Smith’s funeral? How did Judi Dench honor her?

• Judi Dench attended the private funeral, which was held for family and close friends (Wikipedia).
• Dench paid tribute publicly, calling Smith a “great friend” (Wikipedia).
• Other notable attendees included co-stars from the Harry Potter and Downton Abbey casts (Wikipedia).

The implication: The outpouring of grief from colleagues underscored the deep personal connections Smith forged during a career that simultaneously dazzled and endeared.

Career timeline

This chronology reveals how Smith’s career flowed from stage to screen without ever losing its theatrical backbone.

What we know and what remains unclear

The balance of public record and private reserve is typical of Smith’s dignified career.

Voices from her career

I just try to do the best I can with the script I’m given.

Maggie Smith, ET (ET, the entertainment news outlet)

She was a great friend.

Judi Dench, tribute following Smith’s death (Wikipedia)

The respect between two of Britain’s finest actors shows the depth of her impact.

For anyone who loves performances that feel lived-in and true, Maggie Smith’s filmography offers a lifetime of discovery. The lesson is simple: the best acting doesn’t call attention to itself — it makes you forget you’re watching acting at all.

Frequently asked questions