Talk:Maggie Smith

Stage work

I am sure that she has done a lot more than listed.

Peter Pan - when did she play Peter ? -- Beardo 13:22, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

In the 1991 Spielberg film "Hook" she played the aged Wendy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Vermont57 (talk • contribs) 02:41, 8 October 2007 (UTC)

She played Peter Pan in the play Peter Pan on the London stage in 1973. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:1210:8A9E:9F00:485E:900C:2B19:9DA5 (talk) 11:05, 2 March 2022 (UTC)

Francesco da Mosta

Ah bless! I hadn't the heart to delete the entry under her personal life which states that Maggie is a good friend of Francesco da Mosta, though I'm not sure that I shouldn't have. Yes, I saw the BBC programme where Maggie appears from the statuary, replete with Baudaker, and is air-kissed to death by dear Francesco...but he said himself that she is mostly"...a good friend of his wife's mother." Should we also add that she is good friends with Judi Dench, or was pally with Kenneth Williams, or was even more intimate with Rod Taylor? Surely of much more interest....

MARC & NATASHAYgrasil 03:21, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Filmography

Her filmography is incomplete- I added her role in The Honey Pot, but I believe there are others. Also, is the line "Her portrayal of Professor McGonnagall may be regarded as flawless." really objective or unbiased?

Her production list

Her production list is of very poor quality. She has done so much more than what is listed there. It'll probably end up being me who gets round to sorting it out, it always is - I'm constantly doing 20 things at once on this site... Lradrama 07:58, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Maggie Smith in London.jpg

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British

I have changed English to British as her mother was scottish. Besides techically there are no "English" and there hasnt been for over 300 years. British is the official nationality of anyone born within the United Kingdom. --Camaeron 13:27, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

English/Scottish/Welsh are commonly used on Wikipedia. Her mother is immaterial, she has birth and long residence in England. --UpDown 20:47, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Surely her strong Scottish accent should be a contrinuting factor in this, too? Tpacw (talk) 20:49, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

Strong Scottish accent? I only noticed that in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:27, 29 August 2008 (UTC)

It creeps out in HP sometimes, too. Tpacw (talk) 14:05, 30 August 2008 (UTC)

In both these roles she was supposed to sound Scottish, and having a Scottish mother would have helped. But whatever accents she - or any actor - may pull off in the context of a movie is absolutely irrelevant to their nationality in real life. She's particularly associated with England, rather than Britain as a whole; and English is a recognised nationality. Nationality is not so much a matter of legal definition, but of self-identification. If she had ever made statements that she prefers to be referred to as a British actress rather than an English actress, that would be good reason for changing it to British. I'm not aware of any such statements. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:35, 30 August 2008 (UTC)

There is no nationality called English 85.94.248.27 (talk) 17:15, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Rush Hour 3

Didn't she have a cameo in Rush Hour 304:02, 2 December 2007 (UTC)

WP:WikiProject Actors and Filmmakers priority assessment

Per debate and discussion re: assessment of the approximate 100 top priority articles of the project, this article has been included as a top priority article. Wildhartlivie (talk) 07:34, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

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Geography

Smith was born in Ilford, then Essex...

So she was born in Ilford first, and later in Essex? Or Ilford was first in Essex, and later it wasn't? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.129.49.238 (talk) 06:11, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

The latter is the case. She was born in 1934; Ilford was in Essex prior to 1965, and has been in London since then. Jim Michael (talk) 19:01, 9 March 2011 (UTC)

Death?

Smith's page has been updated to reflect a date of death of October 12, 2009 but there is no sourcing and I have not been able to find information to substantiate this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.32.174.113 (talk) 10:28, 12 October 2009 (UTC)

Seems to have just been vandalism. Very childish. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.237.90.125 (talk) 09:22, 13 October 2009 (UTC)

Not only childish, but also highly disrespectful, crass and crude; especially, when it refers to one of the finest actresses of all time. 59.184.171.157 (talk) 09:29, 17 March 2010 (UTC)

Awards

The link under the Awards section, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Maggie_Smith>, redirects to the Maggie Smith article itself. 67.233.156.206 (talk) 08:44, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

It seems Smith has not appeared at Emmy and Oscar shows to collect her awards. Is this notable? TGCP (talk) 19:24, 2 April 2023 (UTC)

Dame Margaret Cross

Is there any reference to show that she ever uses this title? Also, the infobox is headed "Dame Maggie Smith", a formula we seem at pains to avoid in the lede. We have to sort this out. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 19:47, 21 November 2010 (UTC)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

Listed in ehr filmography but she was not in part 1. If she filmed any scenes, they were not used, so either "Scenes deleted" needs to added in notes or this film removed.12.162.122.5 (talk) 19:13, 17 July 2011 (UTC)

New Picture

Can someone find a new picture for her FFS? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.225.158.89 (talk) 02:57, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Horrible picture

The current picture is just awful; doesn't even look like her. Surely someone can come up with something better than that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.1.128.87 (talk) 01:39, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

I agree, that photo is horrible.--Britannicus (talk) 20:17, 5 January 2013 (UTC)

Clarification needed

Could someone please reword the following sentence:

"She married actor Robert Stephens on 29 June 1967 at Greenwich Register Office, ten days after their first child was born."

Does this mean that:

1. Their marriage took place 10 days after their first child was born, or
2. Their first child was born 10 days after their marriage took place?

I don't know the answer so if someone could reword to reflect the clear meaning that'd be great. matt (talk) 21:17, 20 July 2013 (UTC)

Is she English or British?

Born in Essex, raised in Oxford. father English, mother a Scot. I'd say 'British' is appropriate but we go by 'due weight' of 'reliable sources'. If someone would like to demonstrate that such sources refer to her, overwhelmingly, as English, not British I'd certainly like to see the list. (Google is your friend here). AnonNep (talk) 15:09, 13 July 2018 (UTC)

• Given your recent article edit, @TonyIsTheWoman: with description '(As sourced)' could you supply RS 'due weight' where Maggie Smith is 'sourced' as 'English'? Thank you. AnonNep (talk) 16:48, 13 July 2018 (UTC)

  There is no nationality de jure called English 85.94.248.27 (talk) 17:16, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Both of the (perfectly reliable) sources immediately after her name clearly say "British". In any case, being English makes one British by default? It usually matters more how someone describes themselves (if she's really that bothered, of course). Martinevans123 (talk) 17:27, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Change her damn photo

You guys are doing her dirty with that photo. Surely there exists a more flattering photo of the Dame! Jesus h christ people. 158.140.195.209 (talk) 08:07, 22 May 2022 (UTC)

The only other one at Commons is this one: File:Dame-maggie-smith-1963.jpg. Perhaps you know of another copyright-free example? Martinevans123 (talk) 08:42, 22 May 2022 (UTC)

I absolutely agree! What a horrible horrible photo! I really hope you can organize one! 82.220.89.87 (talk) 10:32, 11 December 2022 (UTC)

Here's hoping no one raises hell on Commons. I reached out for help for someone with a long history of successful uploads in fair use rationale with old publicity photos in the free domain. And if it fails, I will try, try again! --Cinemaniac⁸⁶_{Dane_Cook_Hater_Extraordinaire} 03:06, 16 October 2023 (UTC)

I hope I am doing the Dame proud. I was flabbergasted that she was stuck with such a fuzzy wreck of a photo for so long! At least a free domain trailer screencap would've been more sufficient than that! --Cinemaniac⁸⁶_{Dane_Cook_Hater_Extraordinaire} 03:05, 16 October 2023 (UTC)

Admitted to being slapped?

"On The Graham Norton Show in 2015 Smith admitted that Olivier had slapped Smith across the face during a production of Othello in 1964." English is not my first language so there is a decent chance I'm missing something, but it does strike me as a bit odd to say she admitted it. I feel that implies some sort of wrong-doing on her part and I can't see any context that would clarify that. If she had insisted that they had a perfectly fine relationship, for example. 2A02:8071:B84:3BC0:F128:4240:923D:AE6D (talk) 09:30, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

Ah, dear old Larry, always a bit of a Prodigy fan, wasn't he. (Maybe Desdemona deserved it, in 1964 ... probably wearing one of those low-cut Contributory negligees) But here's a source (that might useful be added) which has this:

During a different show—in a scene in which Othello scuffles with Desdemona—Olivier actually struck Smith across the face. “He did knock me out,” Smith says. “I was left with some black marks [from his makeup] on my face.” But once the curtain closed that evening, Smith got the last laugh: “I did say it was the only time I saw stars at the National Theatre.”

Martinevans123 (talk) 17:35, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Awards in lead

@The One I Left, I just wanted to discuss where Smith's awards should be mentioned in the lead. To me it makes sense to leave them out of the lead paragraph, instead mentioning her Academy Awards in juxtaposition with her film work, her Emmy Awards in relation to her television work, and the remainder in the fourth paragraph. It might be worth noting that the article on Laurence Olivier, which is featured, doesn't mention his awards in the lead paragraph either, although I don't think there's any particular policy about where they should go. A.D.Hope (talk) 12:21, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

• Hi @A.D.Hope, I think her page should look similar to Judi Dench's page with the most important awards mentioned in the leads. To me it's a quick glance of what she's accomplished and then in the rest of the lead it can get into specifics of what she won for etc.The One I Left (talk) 13:24, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

  I'm wary of using lists of awards in place of a more rounded assessment of an actor's achivements; the full lead does a reasonable job of conveying the fact that Smith has performed in many highly-regarded roles, and I'm not sure we need to hammer the point home in the lead paragraph by just listing her high-profile awards. A.D.Hope (talk) 14:01, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

  Also, I'm not trying to be awakward about the National Theatre, but as the UK has three English-language national theatres and the name is a common one I'd argue the disambiguation is necessary. A.D.Hope (talk) 14:09, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

  • I fixed the disambiguation so it's linked to the Royal National Theatre The One I Left (talk) 15:33, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

    You changed the wording back to just 'National Theatre'. The link needs to read 'National Theatre of Great Britain', or at the very least 'Royal National Theatre' (but I don't favour it) to be unambiguous. A.D.Hope (talk) 15:49, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

    • Correct link is the Royal National Theatre, but it is more commonly referred to as The National Theatre, no one refers to it as National Theatre of Great Britian.The One I Left (talk) 16:05, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

      National Theatre of Great Britain is a redirect to Royal National Theatre; the article states that the former term is used internationally, and given this article is international in scope due to Smith's work in the USA we should use it. If the term really can't be used then we should default to the article title, 'Royal National Theatre'. A.D.Hope (talk) 16:15, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

      • I think given that Maggie Smith started her career in London and won accolades for her theatre work in the UK it's rather obvious the National Theatre is in the UK. It is talked about in great lengths in the body of the article as well. National Theatre works just fine with the link. Anything more is rather silly and unnecessary.The One I Left (talk) 16:31, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

        Smith has worked in the theatre in the UK and USA and won awards in each, so being particularly clear about which is being referred to in a given passage is beneficial to the reader. A.D.Hope (talk) 16:35, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

        • The wording is pretty concise for the reader "Smith established herself alongside Judi Dench as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company." the next sentence is for her work on Broadway. Not sure how one would be confused with how it is written.The One I Left (talk) 16:37, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

          The sentence before the passage you quote is also about Smith's work on Broadway, as that's where she made her professional debut. This means that 'British' in the quote could reasonably be interpreted to mean 'theatre performer of British nationality', not 'theatre performer working in Britain'. A.D.Hope (talk) 16:40, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

          • I guess well have to agree to disagree. I see it as it talking specifically about her work in the UK with mentions to organisations in the UK which you could easily click on, followed by her work on Broadway.The One I Left (talk) 16:44, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

            The passage mentions Smith's work at the Oxford Playhouse, then her Broadway debut, then more British work, then more Broadway work. Given we jump across the Atlantic three times I still think it's helpful to clarify that it's the UK's national theatre we're refer to. It's also part of the manual of style (MOS:FORCELINK) that readers shouldn't have to click a link to understand a sentence, and while I don't think this is the worst example we could use one of the other names to make things clearer. A.D.Hope (talk) 16:50, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

            • From my point of the phrasing of the sentence it makes it perfectly clear its work in the UK, and the next sentence mentions her work on Broadway. Not sure what the difference is between Royal National Theatre vs the more commonly named National Theatre. The One I Left (talk) 17:24, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

              'Royal National Theatre' is the article title, so there's a consensus that it's disambiguated enough for the average reader to understand. Personally I think '...of Great Britain' is clearer still, and the NT article does mention that the full name is used in international contexts. A.D.Hope (talk) 17:35, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

              • I guess we'll have to see a consensus but National Theatre, which is its branded name, and its most common name which works best imo. I think adding "Royal" or "Great Britain" is fluff.The One I Left (talk) 17:59, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

                Yes, I agree that we'll have to wait for consensus. You can't always reach a solution when it's just the two of you, ha! A.D.Hope (talk) 19:03, 20 December 2023 (UTC)