A mesmerizing presence. Over the years, Maggie Smith has captivated audiences with her vast collection of roles. From stage plays to large movie productions, the U.K. native made a name for herself by channeling a wide range of emotions and exploring dramatic character development.
Although Smith has received countless accolades for her work throughout the years, she previously explained why she has no interest in being famous.
“I don’t feel any different to the way I felt before, and I’m not quite sure what [being a star] means,” she said during a rare interview with 60 Minutes in February 2013.
Three years later, the actress revealed why she choose to perform in stage productions more than on the big screen.
“I’ve thought about this a lot. I think it’s because, I know it sounds silly, but I am, and I think a lot of actors would agree with this — I am very insecure. And I don’t know, I feel somehow — on a set, I feel a bit trapped because you’re in a corner, and you absolutely have to do it. There is no way out,” she told NPR in 2016. “In the theater, you know, you get another chance. You can do it the next night, the next performance. You can probably get it right then. But you don’t have any real say in a film. And quite honestly, I probably drive everybody mad and go on and on and on and want to do another take and — because I never feel that it’s right. So, I always feel huge pressure.”
For Smith, getting the chance to perfect how she approaches a role made her view her film performances differently.
“It’s an odd feeling, but when you’re there and you’re having to do it, the choice you make has to be absolutely right. And of course, it can’t be,” she noted at the time. “It just absolutely can’t be. So, you don’t really have a say in it. I find it very hard because I don’t know that I trust myself to know that – if it’s good or if that’s the take that should be or whether we just do it with one take or there isn’t time to do anymore. You know, I find that real pressure.”
The Tony Award winner, who appeared in well-known projects such as the Harry Potter film series and Downton Abbey, later reflected on her experience during an interview with the U.K.’s Evening Standard Magazine in 2019, saying, “I am deeply grateful for the work in Potter and indeed Downton, but it wasn’t what you’d call satisfying. I didn’t really feel I was acting in those things.”
She added: “I wanted to get back to the stage so much because theatre is basically my favorite medium, and I think I felt as though I’d left it all unfinished. But there wasn’t anything that came along.”