Birthday: Dame Maggie Smith

Today is the 78th birthday of Dame Maggie Smith, a woman who in my humble opinion should be considered to be a national treasure in Great Britain.

Dame Maggie's most recent work has been as the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley in the critically acclaimed Downton Abbey, where she is by and large the best part of the show.  In addition to being a Dowager Countess, she has also been a nun in the Sister Act films, a wizard and a teacher in the Harry Potter films, a Countess in Gosford Park, a Queen in All the King's Men, a Duchess and mother to a King in Richard III, a Greek god in Clash of the Titans, and as Wendy Darling in Hook.

In addition to being an absolutely amazing actress, Dame Maggie is also a mother to actors Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, through her first marriage to actor Sir Robert Stephens (whose last wife, Patricia Quinn, is probably best known as Magenta in The Rocky Horror Picture Show), and a grandmother through both her sons.  Dame Maggie's second husband was playwright and screenwriter Beverly Cross, whose second play, Strip the Willow, is credited with having helped make her a star.  In addition to turning 78 this year, Dame Maggie has also received numerous nominations for her roles in all three works that she's appeared in this year, Downton Abbey, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Quartet, including two Golden Globes (results still pending), two BAFTAs, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards (also still pending), and won an Emmy, a Satellite Award, and a Women Film Critics Circle Award.

Clearly the woman is still going strong, even at 78.  Happy birthday, Dame Maggie!