Maggie Smith Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. She has had an extensive, varied career on stage, film, and television, spanning over 66 years. Smith has appeared in over 50 films, and is one of Britain's most recognizable actresses. A prominent figure in British culture for six decades, she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for services to the performing arts, and received the Companion of Honour from the Queen in 2014 for services to drama. Smith began her career on stage as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse
Helen Mirren for Measure" at Riverside Studios. In 1981, she returned to the Royal Court for the London premiere of Brian Friel's "Faith Healer". That same year she also won acclaim for her performance in the title role of John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi", a production of Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre which was later transferred to The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London. Reviewing her portrayal for "The Sunday Telegraph", Francis King wrote: "Miss Mirren never leaves it in doubt that even in her absences, this ardent, beautiful woman is the most important character of the story." In her performance as Moll