Oxford High School tribute to old girl Dame Maggie Smith

The British star was educated at Oxford High School for Girls and later the Oxford Playhouse School.

Following her family's announcement of her death in hospital on Friday (September 27), Oxford High School posted online: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Dame Maggie Smith, who attended Oxford High School GDST between 1947 and 1951 and went on to win two Oscars and star in the Harry Potter films.

"Our thoughts are with her loved ones during this difficult time."

Oxford Playhouse, where she was patron, said it was "a privilege to know her"

In a tribute the theatre said: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dame Maggie Smith,  true icon of stage and screen, and a beloved patron of Oxford Playhouse.

"She began her career at our theatre as Viola in the 1952 OUDS’ production of Twelfth Night, continuing to perform with the company throughout her time at Oxford, starring in Cinderella, Rookery Nook and The Government Inspector, among others.

"We are honoured to have been a small part of her celebrated career.

"Her extraordinary talent, grace and commitment to the arts left an incredible mark on the world of theatre.

"As a long-time supporter of Oxford Playhouse, her passion for nurturing creativity and inspiring the next generation of performers will be remembered by all who had the privilege to know her."

Dame Maggie was born in Ilford, Essex, on December 28, 1934, and first appeared on the stage as a girl of 18 in Twelfth Night.

Her family background gave no indication that she would not only enter the acting profession but also become one of its leading exponents.

She said she had wanted, from childhood, to become an actress, but she did not see a play or a film until she was a teenager.

Nor did she receive much encouragement from her family, particularly one of her grandmothers, who remarked that she could not go into acting “with a face like that”. But none of this deterred her from her ambition.

She was one of the most versatile, accomplished and meticulous actresses of her generation, her repertoire ranging from Shakespeare to character parts in Harry Potter.

Although she was a tour de force in leading roles on the West End stage, she was equally happy – even during the years of her mega-stardom – to accept supporting roles, particularly in films.

Probably her greatest triumph was in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, for which she won her first Oscar.

But, Dame Maggie – she was made a DBE in 1990 – was self-deprecating about her abilities.

She made an early mark in revues, as a singer and dancer. One fan who saw her on Broadway in New Faces of ’56, said he laughed so much he ended up banging his head on the seat in front of him.

She was spotted by Laurence Olivier, who saw her as much more than just a vaudeville performer and invited her to join the newly-formed Royal National Theatre Company in London.

There, and at the Old Vic, she excelled in both tragedy and comedy, moving easily from Shakespeare to Noel Coward, to Restoration comedy to Ibsen.

As a “rep” actress, she was able to develop her incredible range, skill and talent among some of Britain’s best actors, including Robert Stephens, who was to become her first husband. They married in 1967 but divorced in 1974.

The film industry began to recognise her abilities and she was given several supporting roles.

But she first emerged as an international star with her virtuoso performance as the fanatical teacher Jean Brodie in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.

Dame Maggie won a best actress Oscar for the role in 1970.

Other film roles include her portrayal of a drunken Oscar loser in California Suite, the dying older lover in Love, Pain And The Whole Damn Thing, the tragic lodger in The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearne, and the so-called “funny old bat” in Gosford Park, which brought her a sixth Oscar nomination.

Even in smaller roles she could upstage the film “giants”. In one film, Richard Burton described her scene-stealing as “grand larceny”.

Dame Maggie won over a whole new generation of fans when she played Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies which were filmed at Christ Church, New College and in the Bodleian Library complex in Oxford.

In 2010 she was central to the success of ITV series Downton Abbey filmed in Bampton and near Witney.

Her role as the acerbic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, won her an Emmy.

But she later told ES Magazine: “I am deeply grateful for the work in (Harry) Potter and indeed Downton (Abbey) but it wasn’t what you’d call satisfying.

“I didn’t really feel I was acting in those things.”

Her numerous awards also covered her performances in Tea With Mussolini, A Room With A View, A Private Function and The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearne.

She starred alongside Dame Judi Dench in the 2004 film Ladies In Lavender, and on stage in the David Hare play The Breath Of Life.

One of her most famous roles was as a bag lady in The Lady In The Van, the 2015 adaptation of Alan Bennett’s memoirs.

She recently starred in the 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era, where Violet’s health deteriorates and she dies in an emotional end to her character.

The next year, she appeared in The Miracle Club, which follows a group of women from Dublin who go on a pilgrimage to the French town of Lourdes.

Dame Maggie’s second husband, the playwright Beverley Cross who she married in 1975, died in 1998.

She had two sons from her first marriage, Die Another Day star Toby Stephens and Widow Clicquot actor Chris Larkin, who are both actors.

They said in a statement: “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.

“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.

“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”