In addition to her considerable body of work, I will always remember her for this anecdote as told by the late great Kenneth Williams:
I started watching the Haŕry Potter series last week.
Maggie was very good. Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Robbie Coltrane are gone. Bit by bit the older actors in those movies are dying.
We lost Snape a while back also. Alan Rickman died in 2016 at only 69. Pancreatic cancer got him.
I’d forgotten Sister Act. You could only see Maggie and cast’s faces in the Nuns Habit.
I had never watched Downton Abbey, but I think I’m going to add it to my (ever expanding) watchlist of shows to catch up on if I ever find the time.
I think the first thing I saw her in was her other Poirot outing; she doesn’t exactly make that movie, and wasn’t meant to, but for what they needed they used her to perfect effect: it’s obvious that Bette Davis was hired to flash her eyes and deliver bitchy quips, and, by heaven, someone needs to stand next to her and give as good as she gets in kind…
I need closed captions for this. What the heck is he saying? I understood the word “braaaaaa” but almost nothing else.
Eh, I watched season one and only a bit of season two. I hated all the characters and didn’t care what happened to any of them. Soppy worship of the upper classes. I had to give it up. Good actors, but the whole thing turned rancid for me very quickly.
Kenneth and Maggie go to Fortum and Mason’s (a very upscale shop) Maggie goes to the assistant and tries to buy a particular bra. Upon being informed of the price she says “7 Guineas?? Cheaper to have your tits off!”
Not very amusing imho, but your milage may vary.
Thank you. Yeah, not terribly amusing.
Don’t write off Maggie Smith’s entire career because of these two things.
On the other hand, why not?
Um, I’m not. It’s just that particular series I really disliked, not Maggie. I’m a big fan of hers.
Funny (to me anyways) if heard in Kenneth Williams’ voice
Most things are.
Also, one has to consider that not only was he telling the story in 1980, the actual event happened in the 60’s. Saying “Cheaper to have your tits off” to a snooty store assistant is funny enough now, but outright scandalous when she did it.
Especially in Fortnum’s, which was even more up itself then than now.