Maggie Smith

A contemplation on the cinematic brilliance of Maggie Smith

It’s a curious thing, the emotional weight we feel when an actor we admire passes away. The grief feels strange and quiet, almost disproportionate. We’ve never met them, and there was never any real possibility of a personal connection. Yet their absence feels profoundly real, as though someone who had unknowingly become a part of our lives is suddenly gone. It’s far from the raw, visceral pain of losing someone close, but very close to a slow, simmering sadness, more like the loss of a distant but cherished companion. I’ve asked myself this question each time I’ve felt this quiet sense of loss from the passing away of a favourite artiste—why does it feel like losing a personal connection? Why does it resonate so deeply? And I find myself asking it again today, with the passing of the...

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and ‘Harry Potter’ cast pay heartfelt tributes to Maggie Smith

The “Harry Potter” community is mourning the loss of their beloved Professor McGonagall — Maggie Smith, who passed away yesterday morning at the age of 89. As tributes pour in from her co-stars, many have reflected on her remarkable talent, intelligence, and wit.

British actress Maggie Smith passes away at 89

For many younger fans in the 21st century, she was best known as Professor McGonagall in all seven "Harry Potter" movies, and the Dowager Countess in the hit TV series and movie spin-offs of "Downton Abbey," a role that seemed tailor-made for an actress known for purse-lipped asides and malicious cracks.

September 28, 2024
September 28, 2024

A contemplation on the cinematic brilliance of Maggie Smith

It’s a curious thing, the emotional weight we feel when an actor we admire passes away. The grief feels strange and quiet, almost disproportionate. We’ve never met them, and there was never any real possibility of a personal connection. Yet their absence feels profoundly real, as though someone who had unknowingly become a part of our lives is suddenly gone. It’s far from the raw, visceral pain of losing someone close, but very close to a slow, simmering sadness, more like the loss of a distant but cherished companion. I’ve asked myself this question each time I’ve felt this quiet sense of loss from the passing away of a favourite artiste—why does it feel like losing a personal connection? Why does it resonate so deeply? And I find myself asking it again today, with the passing of the...

September 28, 2024
September 28, 2024

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and ‘Harry Potter’ cast pay heartfelt tributes to Maggie Smith

The “Harry Potter” community is mourning the loss of their beloved Professor McGonagall — Maggie Smith, who passed away yesterday morning at the age of 89. As tributes pour in from her co-stars, many have reflected on her remarkable talent, intelligence, and wit.

September 27, 2024
September 27, 2024

British actress Maggie Smith passes away at 89

For many younger fans in the 21st century, she was best known as Professor McGonagall in all seven "Harry Potter" movies, and the Dowager Countess in the hit TV series and movie spin-offs of "Downton Abbey," a role that seemed tailor-made for an actress known for purse-lipped asides and malicious cracks.