Although there are countless masterpieces of British actress Maggie Smith, for many young friends, it is through Professor Minerva McGonagall, the gryffindor dean in "Harry Potter", that they have met this outstanding Grandma Smith.
So, what kind of person is she when she takes off her costume?
Today, we're going to walk through 10 things and walk into the real Maggie Smith.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >1, her parents did not support her acting</h1>
Maggie Smith was born into a family that had nothing to do with art. His father, Nathaniel Smith, was a technician at a Harvard lab who didn't like to watch plays, and he was surprised to learn that his daughter was interested in acting.
In a 2019 interview with the London Evening Standard, Maggie said, "God knows why I love theatre. When I was a kid, my parents never took me to the theater. ”
Maggie's mother, Margaret Little, was a secretary. She hopes that her daughter will be able to work in a similar role as herself in the future, and when she learns that Maggie is going to be an actor, she is very unhappy. Although she didn't say anything, the expression on her face was always telling Maggie that you wouldn't succeed.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >2, love the stage better than the screen</h1>
For most fans, she was loved by her great performances on screen, such as Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and Grandma the Poisonous Tongue in Downton Abbey.
But for Maggie Smith, the stage is her favorite.
Maggie told the London Evening Standard:
"I'm grateful to be in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, but that doesn't satisfy me. I feel like I'm not really acting in these works. I wanted to get back on stage because the theater was my favorite place to perform. ”
Apparently, like "Professor Snape" Alan Rickman, they enjoy interacting with audiences on stage that film and television art can't provide.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >3, Shakespeare is not her "dish."</h1>
Shakespeare plays are almost a compulsory course for British actors, and everyone can open their mouths to say a few classic lines of Shakespeare.
Although Maggie Smith has also acted in countless Shakespearean plays during her theatrical life, she has also appeared in the National Theatre of the United Kingdom, and even received an Oscar nomination for the 1965 Othello film.
But in an interview with The Guardian, she said bluntly, "Shakespeare is not my 'dish'. ”（Shakespeare is not my thing）
Even if he didn't like Shakespeare, he could still perform Shakespeare to the "pinnacle", and it turned out that Maggie Smith was also an old "Versailles".
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >4, will also sing</h1>
Maggie Smith's witty performances and infectious stage skills have made her very popular with variety shows. As a young woman, she participated in many musical performances, including on Broadway in the United States, although Maggie often laughed at herself for singing.
In addition to singing on Broadway, Maggie Smith sang a song called "I'll Make a Man of You" in the musical "What a Lovely War", and appeared on stage several times on the British veteran variety show "The Carol Burnett Show".
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >5, Grand Slam actress</h1>
Maggie Smith has won a Stage Tony Award, an Emmy Award for a TV Series, and an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Movie, and is a veritable "Grand Slam" actor.
For many actors, it's already difficult to win an award, but Maggie Smith won three Emmy Awards and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress once.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >6, married twice</h1>
Maggie Smith with her second husband
Maggie Smith's first husband was her colleague Robert Stephens at the Lawrence Olivier National Theatre. They married in 1967 and had two boys. Like Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter, Maggie Smith did not have a husband's surname after marriage.
In 1975, after divorcing her first husband, she soon married her ex-boyfriend playwright Beverley Cross. In an interview with The New York Times, she said:
"I'm so lucky. Being able to meet a man who is supposed to be married again. It's like a script. Such good fortune actually came true. ”
She was never separated from Beverley Cross until Beverley's death in 1998.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >7, both sons are now actors</h1>
Although Maggie Smith says she never encouraged her children to learn acting, her two sons are still "step-parents" and become actors.
The eldest son, Toby Stephens, is the male protagonist of the 07 version of Jane Eyre. The youngest son, Chris Larkin, has starred in the American dramas "Black Sail" and "Legend of the Ancient Battlefield".
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >8, often teasing Ian McLean</h1>
"Gandalf" Ian McLean did not qualify for the role of Dumbledore, but he had a very good relationship with Maggie Smith.
Not only do we see them in groups from time to time, but in public, Maggie Smith teases Ian McLean more than once.
In 2002, for example, Ian McLean was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the role of Gandalf. At the awards ceremony, Ian explained to Maggie why he was wearing a New Zealand Maori jade pendant as it would bring him good luck.
As a result, Yin did not win an Oscar that year. Later, when Maggie bumps into Ian, she teases him, "It seems it doesn't work." ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >9</h1>
During the filming of the 6th Harry Potter film, Maggie Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer.
In an interview with Time, she said:
"I lost my hair at that time. I don't mind wearing a wig. My head was like a hard-boiled egg. But I'm worried that I won't be able to finish any film or play with my physical strength."
However, she has not stopped working since her diagnosis. She not only completed the filming of "The Half-Blood Prince" and "Deathly Hallows", but also participated in "The Ancient House Through Time" and "Magic Nanny McPhee 2".
Later, she defeated cancer and continues her favorite acting career to this day.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >10, never thought about retirement</h1>
Maggie Smith, born in 1934, is now 87 years old, but she never thought about retirement.
In 2019, she also appeared on the stage of the London Bridge Theatre, which had been absent for twelve years, starring in "A German Life".
Life goes on, acting goes on!
Let's wish Maggie Smith good health and the joy that acting brings her to the fullest.