10 Maggie Smith Movies To Watch: ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Sister Act’ And More

The entertainment world is mourning the loss of legendary actress Maggie Smith, who died Friday at age 89.

A veteran of both stage and screen, Smith was born on December 28, 1934, in Ilford, Essex, England. She made her screen debut on the British television series BBC Sunday Night Theater in 1955.

Per IMDb, Smith’s first appearance on the big screen came in the 1956 British film Child in the House, where she played the uncredited role of a party guest. Her official movie debut came two years later in the 1958 crime drama Nowhere to Go.

In total, according to IMDb, Smith appeared in 85 screen projects throughout her illustrious career.

Out of her dozens of big-screen credits, here are 10 movies to watch starring Smith.

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‘The Miracle Club’ (2023)

Maggie Smith's last film role came in the 2023 period comedy-drama The Miracle Club.

In the film, Smith’s character, Lily Fox, forms the music group The Miracles with two friends—Eileen (Kathy Bates) and Dolly (Laura Linney)—to play in a Catholic Church talent show. After winning the competition, The Miracles are given tickets to go on a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.

‘Downton Abbey’ (2019)

Although Maggie Smith established the iconic role of the Dowager Countess of Grantham Violet Crawley in the classic ITV/BBC Masterpiece television series Downton Abbey—which ran for six seasons from 2010 to 2015—she was able to reprise the role for two Downton Abbey feature films.

The first Downton Abbey film debuted in theaters in 2019, while its sequel Downton Abbey: A New Era was released in 2022.

‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ (2011)

Maggie Smith stars as Muriel Donnelly in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, one of a group of British citizens “in their golden years” who move to a retirement hotel in India.

The cast of the 2011 comedy-drama also includes Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Dev Patel and the late Tom Wilkinson. Smith reprised her role in the film’s sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which was released in 2015.

‘Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone’ (2001)

One of Maggie Smith’s most iconic roles began in 2001 when she played Hogwarts Professor Minerva McGonagall in the big screen adaption of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Smith went on to play McGonagall in six more Harry Potter films over the next 10 years, which ended with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011. Smith’s McGonagall did not appear in 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

‘Gosford Park’ (2001)

Maggie Smith starred as Constance Trentham in director Robert Altman’s whodunnit murder mystery comedy Gosford Park in 2001.

The film’s ensemble cast also included Smith’s future Harry Potter star Michael Gambon, as well as Kristen Scott Thomas, Ryan Phillipe, Stephen Fry, Derek Jacobi, Clive Owen and Helen Mirren.

Gosford Park earned Smith her sixth and final Oscar nomination, which came in the Best Supporting Actress category.

‘Sister Act’ (1992)

Maggie Smith starred as the Reverend Mother in Sister Act, a 1992 musically-imbued crime comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg.

In the film, Goldberg stars as Deloris Wilson-Van Cartier, a lounge singer who witnesses a mob murder and is placed into witness protection in a convent run by the Reverend Mother—and she eventually establishes her new identity as Sister Mary Clarence.

Smith reprised her role as the Reverend Mother, aka Mother Superior, in the sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit in 1993.

‘A Room With A View’ (1985)

A period romance drama directed by James Ivory, A Room with a View stars Maggie Smith as Charlotte Bartlett, who watches over her cousin, Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter), during a trip to Florence, Italy.

A Room with a View earned Smith a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

‘California Suite’ (1978)

Maggie Smith stars as Diane Barrie opposite Michael Caine’s Sidney Cochran in the romantic comedy-drama California Suite, which chronicles four different stories of eight different guests staying at a hotel in Beverly Hills.

Diane and Barrie are a Britsh couple who travel to Los Angeles to attend the Oscars.

California Suite earned Smith an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress—her only win in the category in four tries throughout her career.

‘Death On The Nile’ (1978)

Maggie Smith stars as Miss Bowers, a big-screen adaptation of legendary author Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery novel—one of nine passengers suspected of murder by Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) after a suspicious death aboard a boat cruise on the Nile river in Africa.

‘The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie’ (1970)

Maggie Smith earned her first Oscar—for Best Actress—for playing the eccentric Scottish schoolteacher Jean Brodie in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The film was only recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in one other category—a Best Original Song nomination for composer Rod McKeun’s tune Jean.

Smith also earned another Best Actress Oscar nomination for her turn as Aunt Augusta in the 1972 adventure comedy Travels with My Aunt.