Bring Dame Maggie back to the stage
She has become synonymous with her Downton Abbey alter ego, the waspish Dowager Countess who has a witty one-liner or an excoriating look for every occasion. But there is far, far more to Dame Maggie Smith than merely being the doyenne of Britain’s favourite costume drama.
So why is she struggling to get back on the stage? She put in a memorable turn when she performed a section of The Beaux’ Stratagem as part of the National Theatre’s 50th birthday celebrations last month. But only days later, when she picked up a special Theatre Icon gong at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, she spoke out about the lack of theatre roles for her. ‘I’m very sad because I haven’t done anything in theatre to justify this,’ she said when collecting her award. ‘I wish I had. Doing something on stage at the National the other night was extraordinary.
‘I would love to do more theatre work but really, I don’t get any offers,’ she confessed wittily later. ‘I’m with my agent here and I’m told I’m busy for the next year, but after that I would love to do more work on the stage – especially after winning this award.
‘If you could help me put the word out, maybe that would help! Maybe you could put an advert in for me.’
But then it’s hard to imagine Dame Maggie, who has won two Oscars (including one for The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie) and has had six nominations, and beat breast cancer in 2009, ever retiring.
After making her Broadway debut aged 21 and playing Desdemona opposite Laurence Olivier’s Othello at the National Theatre, she has made dozens of celebrated films, including Gosford Park, A Room With A View and the Harry Potter series. In fact, shortly after the Downton Abbey Christmas special is watched by millions of Britons, reportedly she will be heading out to India, to film the sequel of the hugely popular The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, alongside Dame Judi Dench and Bill Nighy. Based on Deborah Moggach’s bestselling novel, it tells the story of a group of lively pensioners who decide to spice up their twilight years by retiring to the subcontinent.
Besides, there’s more to her work than just a love of acting. Dame Maggie has also suggested that it has helped her to get over the loss of her beloved playwright husband, Beverley Cross, who died in 1998. They had been married for 23 years.
As Downton's formidable Dowager Countess
Of course, even Dame Maggie feels the odd twinge of old age. During a recent interview on US show 60 Minutes she said, ‘Noël Coward – and I don’t mean to name drop – but he said, “The awful thing about getting old is that you have breakfast every half-hour.” And that’s sort of what it is. I can’t understand why everything has to go so fast.’
But there’s certainly no danger of her characteristic fieriness waning any time soon.
‘I don’t tolerate fools and they don’t tolerate me,’ she said. ‘You’re trying to say that I’m – what everybody says, they always seem to think that I’m scary. And I understand that totally. Old people are scary. And I have to face it, I am old and I am scary and I’m very sorry about it but I don’t know what you do.’
All we hope is that Dame Maggie gets to act it out on a stage near us very soon.
So why is she struggling to get back on the stage? She put in a memorable turn when she performed a section of The Beaux’ Stratagem as part of the National Theatre’s 50th birthday celebrations last month. But only days later, when she picked up a special Theatre Icon gong at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, she spoke out about the lack of theatre roles for her. ‘I’m very sad because I haven’t done anything in theatre to justify this,’ she said when collecting her award. ‘I wish I had. Doing something on stage at the National the other night was extraordinary.
‘I would love to do more theatre work but really, I don’t get any offers,’ she confessed wittily later. ‘I’m with my agent here and I’m told I’m busy for the next year, but after that I would love to do more work on the stage – especially after winning this award.
‘If you could help me put the word out, maybe that would help! Maybe you could put an advert in for me.’
But then it’s hard to imagine Dame Maggie, who has won two Oscars (including one for The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie) and has had six nominations, and beat breast cancer in 2009, ever retiring.
After making her Broadway debut aged 21 and playing Desdemona opposite Laurence Olivier’s Othello at the National Theatre, she has made dozens of celebrated films, including Gosford Park, A Room With A View and the Harry Potter series. In fact, shortly after the Downton Abbey Christmas special is watched by millions of Britons, reportedly she will be heading out to India, to film the sequel of the hugely popular The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, alongside Dame Judi Dench and Bill Nighy. Based on Deborah Moggach’s bestselling novel, it tells the story of a group of lively pensioners who decide to spice up their twilight years by retiring to the subcontinent.
Besides, there’s more to her work than just a love of acting. Dame Maggie has also suggested that it has helped her to get over the loss of her beloved playwright husband, Beverley Cross, who died in 1998. They had been married for 23 years.
As Downton's formidable Dowager CountessOf course, even Dame Maggie feels the odd twinge of old age. During a recent interview on US show 60 Minutes she said, ‘Noël Coward – and I don’t mean to name drop – but he said, “The awful thing about getting old is that you have breakfast every half-hour.” And that’s sort of what it is. I can’t understand why everything has to go so fast.’
But there’s certainly no danger of her characteristic fieriness waning any time soon.
‘I don’t tolerate fools and they don’t tolerate me,’ she said. ‘You’re trying to say that I’m – what everybody says, they always seem to think that I’m scary. And I understand that totally. Old people are scary. And I have to face it, I am old and I am scary and I’m very sorry about it but I don’t know what you do.’
All we hope is that Dame Maggie gets to act it out on a stage near us very soon.