Judi Dench's moving tribute to Maggie Smith as she reveals final act before funeral
Dame Judi Dench has shared a touching story about the apple tree she planted in memory of her dear friend, Dame Maggie Smith. The tree bore fruit on the day of the actress's funeral. Dame Maggie, who was known for her iconic roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, passed away in hospital at the age of 89 in September. A special programme titled "Maggie Smith At The BBC" aired on Saturday, which would have been her 90th birthday, reflecting on her life and career.
In the programme, Dame Judi revealed that she discovered Dame Maggie’s crab apple tree had produced fruit on the day of her funeral. "I had it in my pocket at her funeral, which was a very nice thing to have. We had such great times", she said. The two actresses worked together on various projects, including 2004’s Ladies In Lavender and 1985’s A Room With A View. Remembering their time together, Dame Judi said: "I have known her for a long long time. Very, very funny and unbelievably witty, and a really sweet and special friend."
She also admitted that Dame Maggie could be "quite frightening" at times and joked that "you didn’t want to be on the wrong side of Mags".
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Sir Derek Jacobi, stage and screen star, agreed that Dame Maggie could be "terrifying because she was so gifted". He added: "I was just in awe of her, but you had to get over that. Being in awe of her didn’t last because she wouldn’t let it last."
Ruth Jones, the much-loved Gavin And Stacey actress, shared a hilarious anecdote during a special BBC Two programme, revealing that she once dreamt about Dame Maggie Smith while gearing up to play Mother Superior in Sister Act, the same part the esteemed actress portrayed on-screen in 1992. Ruth admitted that in her dream, she told Dame Maggie she would adopt a Welsh accent for the role, an idea that left the acting legend "absolutely horrified".
The broadcast paid a heartfelt tribute to Dame Maggie's illustrious career, featuring interviews with friends and co-stars alongside a treasure trove of clips showing her captivating performances from the 1960s right through to the 2020s.
Charles Dance, famed for his role in Game Of Thrones, recounted feeling incredibly fortunate as he directed Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie in Ladies In Lavender, sharing secrets from the set on BBC’s poignant Lives Well Lived series. He let slip that Dame Maggie was persuaded to join the project upon learning Dame Judi was on board, quipping, "I could have shot the telephone directory with those two."
Dance fondly remembered their "wonderful" dynamics, chuckling over a particular scene where, improvising, they jovially argued while scampering up the stairs, showing just how adept both Dames are at bringing a touch of spontaneity to their roles.
Meanwhile, Alex Jennings added his praises, extolling their "complex and brilliant" performances in A Room With A View in a chat with presenter Kirsty Wark.
Jennings said: "The poetry of her work, of recognising loneliness and desperation and wasted lives – she could absolutely tap in to in a heartbreaking way, and in a really subtle way."
He described working with her on the 2015 film The Lady In The Van as a "privilege to witness her invention" of characters. Fellow actress Frances de la Tour, who also appeared in the film and the Harry Potter series, remembered Dame Maggie as "amazing in every way".
