Whoopi Goldberg remembers “one of a kind” ‘Sister Act’ co-star Maggie Smith
Whoopi Goldberg has paid tribute to her “one of a kind” Sister Act co-star Maggie Smith in a new post on social media.
The passing of the iconic actor, aged 89, was confirmed last Friday (September 27) by her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens. In a statement they said that Smith “passed away peacefully” in the early hours of that morning.
“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end,” they shared in a statement last week. “She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.“
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time,” they added.
Goldberg starred with Smith in Sister Act in 1992. Smith played the Reverend Mother Superior in the comedy while Goldberg appeared as a singer who goes into witness protection in a convent.
Sharing a tribute on Instagram, Goldberg wrote: “Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress. I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind’. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family… RIP.”
See the post here:
Dame Maggie Smith made her stage debut in 1956 and went on to win Oscars for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978). She also starred in the likes of Hook, Death On The Nile and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Smith starred as the formidable Professor McGonagall in all eight Harry Potter movies and won three Emmys for her portrayal of Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. She was made a Dame in 1990 for her services to the performing arts and is one of only a handful of people to have won a Triple Crown Of Acting – An Emmy, Tony and Oscar.
Following news of her passing, friends and fans took to social media to pay tribute to the legendary actor.
Presenter Gyles Brandreth said Smith’s death “marks the end of a golden era”. “She was a truly great actress, one of the greats’ & simply the best company: wise, witty, waspish, wonderful. One of a kind in every way & consequently irreplaceable,” he added.
Elsewhere, comedian Omid Djalili said “We’ve lost one the best today” while George Takei wrote: “A grand star of screen and stage has departed. Maggie Smith, known most recently for her unforgettable roles as the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey and as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, passed away at age 89. Fans both old and young shall miss her dearly.”
In the clip, which was filmed for a show called Nothing Like A Dame (released as Tea With The Dames internationally), saw the pair reminisce about wanting to act for as long as they could. They have been friends for over 60 years.
“We’re going to work forever if we’re asked,” Dench said, to which Smith deadpanned: “But you’re always asked first if I may say so.”
Dench started laughing and said: “Don’t turn on me,” to which Smith replied: “I’m turning on you… it’s all coming out now” before they all break down in laughter. Actor Joan Plowright is also in the clip and jests: “[My agent] said, ‘Well if you do want to [act] again, we’ll look around for a nice little cameo that Judi Dench hasn’t got her paws on.’”
You can check out more tributes to Smith here while others have been sharing their thoughts on the best of Smith’s films here.
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Elizabeth Aubrey
NME
