Judi Dench Recalls the Complexity and Private Grief of Maggie Smith

In her memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, written with Brendan O’Hea, Dench addresses long-standing gossip regarding dressing room disputes. She dismisses the idea of a hierarchy-driven feud as absurd, noting that their differing personalities would have naturally kept them apart. While Dench thrived in lively, social environments, Smith preferred the quiet solitude of a book, a reflection of the intense privacy that defined her life. Dench characterizes her late friend as a complex figure, one who could oscillate between sharp, self-deprecating humor and profound, discombobulated grief.

Smith, who died in September 2024 at age 89, left a legacy that spanned from the 1950s London stage to global stardom in the Harry Potter series. Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, confirmed she passed away peacefully surrounded by family. Beyond the professional reflections, Dench’s book also touches on her own enduring loss, specifically the death of her husband, Michael Williams, twenty-five years ago. Despite the passage of time, the 91-year-old actress maintains a fierce resistance to retirement or being categorized by her age, even as macular degeneration complicates her ability to read scripts and recognize faces. She continues to navigate these physical challenges by relying on audio assistance and her own refusal to let the industry dictate the terms of her career.