To feel kind of emotional because Maggie Smith died?

[YankSplaining]

I didn’t know her personally, and she obviously lived a good long life, but…all the way back to when I was a kid, she was in everything. She, Robin Williams, and Angela Lansbury were the first actors whose names I knew. I was born in 1986, and Maggie Smith was Granny Wendy in “Hook,” the Mother Superior in “Sister Act,” and Mrs Medlock in “The Secret Garden.” Then as a teenager, I got really into period piece movies, and she was in “Gosford Park” (new in theaters at the time) and “A Room With a View” (older, but I saw it for the first time in 2003).

And, of course, she was Professor McGonagall in “Harry Potter,” because it was such a no-brainer casting choice. I was hugely into Harry Potter and saw the third movie in theaters with all my friends for my eighteenth birthday.

I started watching “Downton Abbey” partly because she was in it; my wedding party and I were discussing “Downton Abbey” as we waited in the back of the church to walk down the aisle. I watched Maggie Smith in “Downton Abbey” while I was breastfeeding my first baby. Maggie Smith was always somewhere, and made me think of so many good memories whenever I saw her. My daughters are Harry Potter fans now, so we’ve been seeing quite a lot of Professor McGonagall over the last few years.

I’m not falling into a deep depression or anything, but I just feel sad that she died.

Can I recommend the "Nothing like a dame" documentary.
I stumbled across it months ago and loved the camaraderie, stories and laughs shared by the 4 actresses.

She was so incredibly talented, she was one of a kind and we will miss her. RIP Dame Maggie.

I have a great memory of being fairly newly married in 1969 and we went went into the city to see The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, not something OH wanted to see, not a war film(!), but we queued up for a while. Someone came out and said that the only seats left were in the 10 shillings(50p) section, OH was appalled, he was a Yorkshire man, but I insisted that we paid it! Whenever it has been on TV in later years he refused to 'sit through that bloody film' again, even though I pointed out it was free!
She was such a versatile actress, too many more modern actors seem to play the same sort of character ad nauseum.
RIP

Did they kill her off in Downton Abbey, I don't think I've seen the films?

Loved in 'Keeping mum.' The world has lost a legend

Me too OP. A wonderful actress.

Oh I didn't know either. I'm only a bit older than you OP and I feel the same. A wonderful actress and a staple of my cinematic life since the Prime. I've just seen that the incredible Dick van Dyke has cancelled some plans this week and I just hope he has a very quick painless peaceful ending when his time comes. He, Angela Lansbury, Robin Williams, Julie Andrews were the first actors' names I knew from about 4.

Just remembered i still have my program from The Importance of Being Earnest in the early 90s.

I feel very sad. That speech in the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie "I am a teacher! First, last, always" will forever give me goosebumps. She's one of the greatest actors of my lifetime. She was a few weeks younger than Judi Dench, I think. I shall be similarly saddened when she goes.

YANBU OP. I've felt very emotional today. There are some famous people whose deaths really touch you (I shed actual tears on the death of Terry Wogan). Yes, she lived a long and amazing life, so many achievements and accolades, but it's so sad to think she has gone.

She was an incredible actress, an immense talent, truly one of the greats. RIP Dame Maggie, and thinking of her family.

She was a wonderful Lady Bracknell!

We have very few real National Treasures. Victoria Wood was one I think, Sir David Attenborough, Alan Bennett, Maggie Smith, possibly Paul McCartney.
I am very sad about Maggie Smith. 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' is one of my favourite films ever.
Terry Wogan was another National Treasure.

Was so very sad to hear this too. RIP Dame Maggie.

Stage exit Maggie and into the light. I had a little cry. Its obviously not unexpected to lose an 89 year old. But I really loved her as an actress

She was incredible. Same mould as the other great theatre dames Diana Rigg, who despite all her accolades I still thought was underrated, and Julie Andrews. All three exude charisma and have such gravitas and towering presence as actresses: when they are on the stage, they're all you see.

So very sad to read that Maggie Smith had died. They don't seem to make them like this anymore.

There are some brilliant clips on YouTube of her on Graham Norton. Her timing and talent was impeccable. I'm also sad. So glad I managed to see her on stage. It was my dream.

I shed a tear too. I'm 59 and so many famous pp I grew up with have died these last few years. Feels like I'm losing a part of my own history. V sad 😢

Feels like I'm losing a part of my own history

I think this is well put. It does feel like that in a way. I went to look at her Wikipedia page, and it said 'was' ... seems wrong. I hope she wasn't in pain when she died.

She was just amazing!! Loved her in Downton “Stop that noise, I can’t hear myself die”
The world has lost a fabulous lady 🥲

Had a little bit of a tribute evening tonight - watched the Nothing like a Dame documentary followed by Gosford Park , and raised a glass to her fabulously acerbic self . I’ve always thought I’d like to have her lines when I grow up .

RIP to a truly glorious talent .

Another example of her excellent acting is in 'The VIPs', starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Dame Maggie is just brilliant in it.

‘I’ve always wanted to use that spell’ 🥺

Rest in peace you wonderful wonderful lady.

Raised a glass to wonderful Maggie Smith last night.
Maggie was 'la creme de la creme'

Me too OP, for all the reasons you've mentioned! I love so many of the things she's been in and there's probably a lot of nostalgia there as you say as they're things I've grown up with so to have been watching her in things from when I was a child until very recently (I'm in my 40s) - I guess like the late Queen, she's just always been there!

It is sad, I thought she was immortal.

But, let’s see if I can make you smile. So, I’m Italian , a child in the 90s so watched all the movies with her as you did , but obviously they were dubbed in Italian.
Then Harry Potter comes along and I decided to rewatch all the movies in the original language to try and improve my understanding of English.
So I hear Maggie speaking Scottish in the movie, totally unaware that her surname in the books was a clue. I lived in Italy at the time , I didn’t know a lot of things .
Anyway we can now fast forward a few years later I moved to England and there she is ! Just on Tv, i think it was the Graham Norton show , and I am sat on the sofa with my British boyfriend and Scottish friend , asking them why on earth was Maggie Smith putting on an English accent to give the interview 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The shock when they told me she was English 🫣 I was like but NO! That’s not possible , in Harry Potter she was Scottish 🤣🤣🤣🤣 every time I have seen her since I always thought « oh here is my Scottish lady speaking English again 😅’

So sad she is gone