Died at 91
female
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith CH DBE (December 28, 1934 − September 27, 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in comedic roles, she had an extensive career on stage and screen over seven decades and was one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses. She received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award as well as nominations for six Laurence Olivier Awards. Smith was one of the few performers to earn the Triple Crown of Acting. Smith began her stage career as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional debut on Broadway in New Faces of '56. Over the following decades 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. On Broadway, she received Tony Award nominations for Noël Coward's Private Lives (1975) and Tom Stoppard's Night and Day (1979), and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage (1990). She won Academy Awards for Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978). She was Oscar-nominated for Othello (1965), Travels with My Aunt (1972), A Room with a View (1985) and Gosford Park (2001). She portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). She also acted in Death on the Nile (1978), Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), Quartet (2012) and The Lady in the Van (2015). Smith received newfound attention and international fame for her role as Violet Crawley in the British period drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015). The role earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards; she had previously won one for the HBO film My House in Umbria (2003). Over the course of her career she was the recipient of numerous honorary awards including the British Film Institute Fellowship in 1993, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1996 and the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2010. Smith was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990. Description above from the Wikipedia article Maggie Smith, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Maggie Smith
Wicked Witch of The East
for Wicked Witch of The East in Oz Cinematic Universe
Suggested by dannyflanigan
This is a sweeping, family-friendly fantasy adventure that reimagines L. Frank Baum’s Oz series as an ambitious yearly film saga blending heart, comedy, music, and spectacle. The story begins when Kansas farm girl Dorothy is swept by a cyclone into the magical land of Oz, where even her dog Toto talks and every road seems to lead toward destiny. Along the Yellow Brick Road she teams up with a quick-witted Scarecrow, a shy Tin Woodman, and a theatrical Cowardly Lion, each searching for the qualities they believe they lack. Together they confront the imposing Wizard, outsmart a terrifying Wicked Witch, and discover that courage, love, and intelligence were inside them all along. As the series continues year by year, Oz expands into a larger world of pumpkin-headed companions, clockwork soldiers, living china people, and rebellious princesses reclaiming their throne. Dorothy becomes both visitor and hero, returning repeatedly to help Princess Ozma protect the Emerald City from witches, tricksters, and the subterranean Nome King. Each chapter mixes comedy and wonder with surprisingly emotional stakes, turning Oz into a place that feels lived-in, strange, and deeply human. The tone balances Broadway-style musicality, fast-talking humor, and old-school practical fantasy in the spirit of classic 2000s adventure films. A star-studded ensemble—including Lilla Crawford, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michael Cera, Jess Harnell, Kristin Chenoweth, Fiona Shaw, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Douglas—brings theatrical personality and warmth to every role. Later installments introduce memorable newcomers like Helena Bonham Carter, Keith David, Donald Glover, and Auliʻi Cravalho, making each film feel fresh while keeping the found-family core intact. What starts as one girl’s journey home evolves into an epic, interconnected saga about friendship, identity, and the power of ordinary people in an extraordinary world. The result is a charming, crowd-pleasing Oz cinematic universe that feels nostalgic, magical, and packed with big personalities audiences would return to year after year.
