Maggie Smith's Health Issues, Explained

On September 27, 2024, the world mourned the loss of Dame Maggie Smith, an exceptional actress involved in some of the most culturally significant works from the 1950s to as recently as 2022. Surrounded by her family, the British actress passed away at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital at age 89. Throughout her impactful life, Dame Smith bravely spoke about her health issues and how they affected her work and career. At just 54, while nursing a broken arm, she was diagnosed with Graves' disease. This illness causes an overactive thyroid and metabolism, leading to health issues like weakened bones, weight loss, and an accelerated heart rate.

Rather than shy away from the vulnerability that often accompanies chronic medical conditions, Dame Smith spoke to the New York Times about her condition in 1990 and empathized with then-First Lady Barbara Bush, who was facing the same health issue."It just kind of leaps out at you. It's very, very—so—demoralizing," she said. Despite these struggles, Maggie Smith pushed through, starring in more than 80 movies throughout her decades long career, perhaps most notably in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in 2001 (as well as six of the seven subsequent films in the franchise). This movie was an immense hit at the international box office, earning almost a billion dollars.

In 2008, during the filming of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Dame Maggie Smith faced another challenge when cancerous growth was found in her breast. The harsh treatment required, as well as Smith's age (she was 74 at the time), left her feeling "flattened" and unsure about returning to work. "I think it's the age I was when it happened. It knocks you sideways. It takes you longer to recover; you are not so resilient. I am fearful of the amount of energy one needs to be in a film or a play," she said to The Times.

Despite being a private person, Dame Smith candidly spoke about her diagnosis, no doubt comforting millions dealing with breast cancer worldwide. More impressively, she continued to film while undergoing treatment — a resolution that was undoubtedly tough. "I was hairless. I had no problem getting the wig on. I was like a boiled egg," she quipped. Finally, after two years, the actor beat cancer and faced her fears head-on, returning to work. She would go on to star in "Downton Abbey" beginning in 2010.

Shortly after "Downtown Abbey," Dame Maggie Smith starred in the 2015 hit "The Lady in the Van," a film based on the true story of Miss Mary Shepherd. In a November 2015 chat with The Telegraph, Smith discussed the movie, its reach, and her health. With a lighthearted tone, she casually revealed that she was "blind in one eye" due to glaucoma, a disease that affects the optic nerve. She also mentioned that she had a hip replacement surgery scheduled in the coming months. 

Two months later, in January 2016, Smith spoke to the Los Angeles Times, giving a long-awaited update." She shared that her hip surgery had been successful and that she felt "so much better," even though she wasn't able to make it to the Golden Globes. The veteran actor went on to star in several more films since then, including "The Miracle Club," her final project before her death.