In the world of Harry Potter, where magic weaves through every scene, one character stands out for her unique blend of authority and warmth: Professor Minerva McGonagall, portrayed by the late Dame Maggie Smith. While Smith’s illustrious career spans decades and genres, it’s her role as the stern yet caring professor that left a mark on a generation of fans. Smith brought McGonagall to life in all eight Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011. During a 2015 interview with British TV host Graham Norton, she reflected on how the role changed her life, “A lot of very small people kind of used to say hello to me and that was nice. A whole different lot of people."
This combination of warmth and authority was exactly what director Chris Columbus sought when casting the role of McGonagall in the first Harry Potter film. In a clip from the early 2000s shared on YouTube, Columbus — who directed the series’ initial two films — explained, “Someone that you were intimidated by but someone who had a real sense of warmth and heart." He recognised that this was “exactly who Maggie is," leading him to conclude, “I thought, this is perfect for McGonagall," the director explained.
Columbus also reflected on one of the character’s early scenes. “You meet her in the beginning of the film, she’s in the scene where they’re walking up the stairs, and she was intimidating," he said. “I mean, she was intimidating to the crew because she’s so smart, she’s so brilliant." The young cast members, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, “could sense that," he noted, adding, “But that was good. At that point, she was the disciplinarian."
Smith passed away on September 27 at the age of 89. Beyond her work in Harry Potter, she garnered acclaim for her Oscar-winning performances in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978). More recently, she captivated audiences as Violet Crawley in the Downton Abbey series. In 1990, she received a Tony Award for her role in Lettice and Lovage, and that same year Queen Elizabeth II honoured her by making her a dame for her contributions to the arts.
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