Dame Maggie Smith ‘didn’t believe she was loved,’ reveals son


Dame Maggie Smith reportedly never believed how loved she was (Picture: John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI)

Dame Maggie Smith’s son Toby Stephens has revealed that his mother never allowed herself to believe that she was ‘loved and admired’.

The actress died aged 89 on September 27 after declining in health for a long while.

At the time her sons revealed that she passed ‘peacefully’ and was surrounded by family and friends at the very end of her life.

Despite being a British acting legend who worked for decades on beloved films and TV series including Downton Abbey and Harry Potter, Smith’s son has revealed that she never truly believed how well-regarded she was.

‘It’s been incredibly moving for my family to see how universally loved and admired she was.

‘That was something she never ­really ­allowed herself to believe. She was just like all of us, she didn’t have that self-confidence,’ Toby told The Telegraph.

Actors Emma Watson (L) Maggie Smith (M) and Daniel Radcliffe (R) on the set of the film, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', London, England, 2006. (Photo by Murray Close/ Getty Images)
The younger generation will remember the actress as Professor McGonagall (Photo by Murray Close/ Getty Images)

Toby also revealed that his family believed she had ‘good innings’ after making it to nearly 90 years old, but she was still incredibly missed.

‘It’s been tough,’ he said. ‘She had been ill for a while and it was very hard to see that. But she was in her 90th year, she’d had a really good ­innings.’

He then added: ‘Purely on a selfish level, I miss having her in my life, being able to talk to her.’

The actress was buried in November in an intimate ceremony attended by family.

Toby was born in May 1969 (Picture: Ian Showell/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Actress Maggie Smith pictured during a television interview, circa 1980. (Photo by Don Smith/Radio Times/Getty Images)
The actress has been working for decades (Picture: Don Smith/Radio Times/Getty Images)

Toby and his brother Chris Larkin announced their mother’s death in a joint statement earlier this year: ‘It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.

‘She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.

‘An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. 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.’

**IMAGE OUTSIDE OF SUBSCRIPTION DEAL, FEES APPLY, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT MANAGER** Mandatory Credit: Photo by Colorsport/REX/Shutterstock (14012716cg) Tennis - 2023 Wimbledon Championships - Week Two - Day Thirteen - All England lawn Tennis & Racquet Club, Wimbledon -Saturday 15th Ladies final - Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) v Ons Jabeur (TUN) Actress, Dame Maggie Smith in the Royal Box Credit COLORSPORT / Andrew Cowie Wimbledon Week 2 - Ladies Final Day
The actress leaves behind two children who are both actors (Picture: Colorsport/REX/Shutterstock)
Toby Stephens
Toby is a well-regarded actor (Picture: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)

Smith’s son Toby is best known for playing villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan.

He played Mr Rochester in the BBC 2006 adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and James McGraw / Flint in Black Sails.

More recently the actor appeared on the Netflix series Lost In Space and One Day.

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