8 Wonderful Movies You Forgot Maggie Smith Was In
Today, we look back at the forgotten works of the late, great Maggie Smith.
The world lost one of the greatest actors of the past century when Maggie Smith passed away at 89 years old on Sept. 27, 2024. But luckily, her film and television roles will live on forever. While many millennials remember her for her role in Harry Potter as the stern but empathetic Professor McGonagall, she was also memorable in several other roles.
So while the rest of the world may be remembering her for quotes like, “Potter is a boy, not a piece of meat!” and other iconic moments, some of us also can’t forget the other roles that made Maggie a true icon. From those we grew up with to some later lovable projects, here are seven movies you forgot Maggie Smith was in.
Sister Act (1992) & Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
Before she was a stern professor, Maggie played an even stricter nun in Sister Act as Mother Superior. She hesitantly agrees to let Whoopi Goldberg’s character into the convent as a safe haven from her murderer ex-boyfriend. And like McGonagall, Mother Superior may have a tough exterior, but she’s driven first and foremost by doing what’s right, even if she has to break the rules a little bit. The source of some of Sister Act’s funniest lines and most touching moments, Maggie put herself on our millennial radar in the nun-centric franchise.
Hook (1991)
Just before Maggie put on the habit, she was just a kind old lady in Hook, alongside Robin Williams. At just 56 years old, she was given aging makeup to portray a 92-year-old Granny Wendy, making her forever wise in our eyes. Somehow, Maggie was able to harness both the innocence and maternal instinct of Peter Pan’s Wendy, even portraying a woman 40 years older. So Harry Potter definitely wasn’t Maggie’s first foray into magic.
Othello (1965)
This may not be a childhood favorite, but everyone who paid attention in English Lit is familiar with Shakespeare’s Othello. The 1965 was the classic Laurence Olivier film, nominated for four Oscars. Of course, nowadays, Laurence wearing blackface would be extremely problematic, but that doesn’t diminish Maggie’s role as the main love interest in Desdemona. And Maggie wasn’t the only Harry Potter alumnus to appear in Othello — Dumbledore actor Michael Gambon made his first theatrical film appearance as a Senator/Soldier/Cypriot in this film.
The First Wives Club (1996)
The First Wives Club was a progressive feminist romp starring three divorcees who band together to get revenge on their husbands. While the three main women on the poster are Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton, a fourth woman made the film what it was. And that woman was Maggie Smith. She played Gunilla Garson Goldberg, a wealthy socialite whose experience as a first wife helps her empathize with and offer support to the First Wives Club. A feminist and an ally!
Nanny McPhee Returns (2010)
In the second installment of the Nanny McPhee films, Maggie features alongside fellow Harry Potter cast member Emma Thompson to help out a family in need. While the first film took place in Victorian England, the second film took place during World War II. Maggie plays Mrs. Docherty, the owner of the shop where Isabel works, and seems to have a screw loose. But in the end, she’s revealed to be Aggie, the baby from the first film, once again toeing the line between old and young.
The Secret Garden (1993)
The early ‘90s were the era of Maggie, and her role as Mrs. Medlock in The Secret Garden only adds to her legacy. The Francis Ford Coppola-produced film earned Maggie a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress as the head housekeeper at Mistlethwaite Manor, where once again, her tough exterior leads the way. But her witty comments and emotional vulnerability by the end of the film make Mrs. Medlock a favorite character not to be forgotten.
Death on the Nile (1978)
Death on the Nile is an Agatha Christie-written classic mystery, but behind its stacked cast, it’s easy to forget every big name in it. With Mia Farrow, Jane Birkin, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, and of course, Maggie Smith, the film was a showcase of powerhouse women in Hollywood. Maggie played Miss Bowers, Marie Van Schuyler’s nurse and a suspect in the mysterious murder of heiress Linnet Ridgeway. While Miss Bowers is a kleptomaniac, we won’t give away who the real murderer was … but perhaps it’s worth a rewatch in honor of the late and great Maggie.