Maggie Smith and the other Grandes Dames of British art

Nobody left the recent death of Maggie Smith, the great actress who died on 28 September and was one of the most characteristic figures of theatre and cinema for more than six decades but also one of her 17 colleagues who have won an Oscar, Tony and Emmy award. Born December 28, 1934, Smith left her stigma in the artistic world intact. Her career began in the theatre scene in the 1950s, with entries in major productions of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her interpretations in works such as “King Lear” and “Lysistrata” highlighted the breadth and depth of her talent. In the cinema, Smith won two Oscar awards, the first for the film “Jin Brody’s second youth” (1969) and the second for “California Suite” (1978). Within the years she impressed with her participations in films such as “Room with View” (1985), “Chai with Mussolini” (1999), “Crime in Gosford Park” (2001) and “Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2011). Her younger fans will always remember her thanks to the role of Professor Minerva McGonaghal in the Harry Potter film series, a character that made her globally recognizable. Nevertheless, she never gave up the theatre, participating in productions such as “The Lady in the Van” (a performance successfully carried on the big screen in 2015), continuing to impress with the complexity of her performances. In the final years of her career, Smith also stood out in the television series “Downton Abbey” (2010–2015), winning the public’s appreciation and love as the always caustic Violet Crawley.

Smith belonged to a generation of British actors who evolved into living legends. With Judy Dents especially there have been scientific friends for more than sixty years, as they first met in the 1950s at the London Old Vic Theatre. 89-year-old Dents today, born 19 days before Smith, also followed a similar course with long and productive service in theatre, impressive interpretations in cinema, “Iris” (2001), “Diary of a Scandal” (2006) and “Philomena” (2013), while at the same time every new generation of cinemafil was learning it thanks to its steady presence in James Bond’s adventures as M.

Judy Dench in the film “Love Shakespeare”

He has also been honored with an Oskar, Second Women’s Role, in 1999 for “Love Shakespeare”. The two not only collaborated often but Smith has also played with Finty Williams, Judy’s son, in “Crime in Gosford Park”, while Dents collaborated with Toby Stevens, Maggie’s son in “Die another day” (2002).

But there is Vanessa Redgrave, born January 30, 1937, one of the most important and award-winning actors of this generation, with a career spanning more than six decades. It comes from the famous Redgrave family, known for its surrender to theatre and cinema. Redgrave has been distinguished with numerous awards, such as Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony and Emmy (belongs to the same famous list as Smith) while her interpretations in Shakespeare’s classic works, but also in films such as “Julia” (1977), gave her international recognition.

“Mary, Queen of Scots” (1971) with Vanessa Redgrave in the same role. .

> It is worth recalling other important artistic statements such as her role in “Return to Howards End” (1992) and “Resolvement” (2007).

Beyond her professional course, Redgrave has also been a passionate activist, defending human rights and civil liberties throughout her life, she has even been found several times in Greece in order to raise awareness to the global public about the refugee issue, a subject for which she directed the documentary “Sea Sorrow” herself (2017). However, it is worth seeing these days on the Prime Video platform the documentary “Nothing Like A Dame” (“Thai with the Ladies”, 2018) where Dents and Smith go back on their way and explain what has made the actors of their generation so special together with the legendary theatres Eileen. Atkins, 90 years old today, and Joan Plourait, Lawrence Olivier’s widow, who will close on 29 October 95.