she was born on December 28, 1934, and made her debut on stage in 1952. Four years later, she appeared in front of the camera for the first time. She has won many statuettes and even more nominations for prestigious awards, and in 1990 she was awarded the Order of the British Empire, which gave her a knighthood. Today, she is associated primarily with the series “Downton Abbey”, in which she played the role of Violet Crawley, and the series about , in which she played Professor Minerva McGonagall. In 2007, the media reported that Maggie Smith had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The actress underwent surgery to remove the tumor and chemotherapy. Smith was then filming the sixth installment of the Harry Potter film series, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Two years after receiving the diagnosis and in the same year in which she managed to overcome the disease, she gave an interview to “The Times”, in which she told, among other things, about how it influenced further career plans.
Maggie Smith was diagnosed during the filming of “Harry Potter”. “That was awful”
While filming the sixth installment of the teenage wizard film series, Maggie Smith was undergoing chemotherapy. Due to the treatment, the then 72-year-old actress lost all her hair, and she appeared on the set in a wig and a wizard’s hat. As she revealed in 2009, losing her hair was a “strange” experience, but she felt much worse during treatment. – That was awful. Then you feel terribly bad – . – I was completely bald. I looked like a boiled egg, she added honestly.
Feeling unwell during treatment made it difficult for her to work on set. Smith recalled that she had trouble moving and constantly thought she “wouldn’t be able to” play anymore. Additional wounds appeared on the head. – I have never experienced anything so painful. I had to wear a wig, so it was a nightmare. I suffered a lot. I broke down and cried – in an interview with “The Times”. However, she added that, fortunately, her character, Professor McGonagall, was not supposed to be a character full of life.
Due to her illness, she thought about giving up acting. She felt “very insecure”
Smith openly admitted that the experience completely destroyed her self-confidence. Despite many film awards, including two Oscar statuettes, she was afraid to return to the stage. – I’m afraid to go back to work in the theater. I feel very insecure – she revealed in 2009. Fortunately, she managed to return to what she loves. She did not give up performing both in the theater and on screens. She will turn 89 on December 28 and is still active in the industry. Although she rarely appears in front of the camera anymore, in October she became the face of the Loewe brand campaign. In 2023, she also starred in the film “Wonder Women’s Club”.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
