Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith CH DBE (December 28, 1934 − September 27, 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in comedic roles, she had an extensive career on stage and screen over seven decades and was one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses. She received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award as well as nominations for six Laurence Olivier Awards. Smith was one of the few performers to earn the Triple Crown of Acting.
Smith began her stage career as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional debut on Broadway in New Faces of '56. Over the following decades Smith established herself alongside Judi Dench as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. On Broadway, she received Tony Award nominations for Noël Coward's Private Lives (1975) and Tom Stoppard's Night and Day (1979), and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage (1990).
She won Academy Awards for Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978). She was Oscar-nominated for Othello (1965), Travels with My Aunt (1972), A Room with a View (1985) and Gosford Park (2001). She portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). She also acted in Death on the Nile (1978), Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), Quartet (2012) and The Lady in the Van (2015).
Smith received newfound attention and international fame for her role as Violet Crawley in the British period drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015). The role earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards; she had previously won one for the HBO film My House in Umbria (2003). Over the course of her career she was the recipient of numerous honorary awards including the British Film Institute Fellowship in 1993, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1996 and the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2010. Smith was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990.
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Known For | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 29.399 |
Birthday | 1934-12-28 |
Place of Birth | Ilford, Essex, England, UK |
Also Known As | Margaret Natalie Smith, Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, Меггі Сміт, 메기 스미스, |
1991
Hook
6.837/5257
The boy who wasn't supposed to grow up—Peter Pan—does just that, becoming a soulless corporate lawyer whose workaholism could cost him his wife and ki...
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Hook
2022
A German Life
0/0
Life about the infamous secretary of Nazi Joseph Goebbels.
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A German Life
2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
7.9/27406
Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with...
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2002
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
7.7/21929
Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger aw...
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
7.677/19402
Returning for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts, Harry is stunned to find that his warnings about the return of Lord Voldemort have been ignored. Le...
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
8/21519
Year three at Hogwarts means new fun and challenges as Harry learns the delicate art of approaching a Hippogriff, transforming shape-shifting Boggarts...
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
7.8/20632
When Harry Potter's name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, he becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools—the Tri...
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7.689/19388
As Lord Voldemort tightens his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds, Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven. Harry suspects perils may even lie wi...
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
1981
Clash of the Titans
6.874/752
To win the right to marry his love, the beautiful princess Andromeda, and fulfil his destiny, half-God-half-mortal Perseus must complete various tasks...
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Clash of the Titans
1992
Sister Act
6.829/3155
A Reno singer witnesses a mob murder and the cops stash her in a nunnery to protect her from the mob's hitmen. The mother superior does not trust her,...
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Sister Act
1999
Tea with Mussolini
6.387/142
In 1930s fascist Italy, adolescent Luca just lost his mother. His father, a callous businessman, sends him to be taken care of by British expatriate M...
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Tea with Mussolini
1978
Death on the Nile
7.2/786
As Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board and every elegant passenger becomes a prime s...
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Death on the Nile
1982
Evil Under the Sun
6.9/425
An opulent beach resort provides a scenic background to this amusing whodunit as Poirot attempts to uncover the nefarious evildoer behind the strangli...
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Evil Under the Sun
1996
The First Wives Club
6.7/740
After years of helping their hubbies climb the ladder of success, three mid-life Manhattanites have been dumped for a newer, curvier model. But the tr...
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The First Wives Club
2007
Becoming Jane
7.3/1160
A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.
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Becoming Jane
2001
Gosford Park
6.9/1070
In 1930s England, a group of pretentious rich and famous gather together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. But when a murder occurs, ea...
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Gosford Park
1969
Oh! What a Lovely War
6.6/41
The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the three boys of the family witness the harsh reality of trench warf...
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Oh! What a Lovely War
1993
The Secret Garden
7.4/885
A young British girl born and reared in India loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake. She is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle....
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The Secret Garden
1969
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
6.8/106
A headstrong young teacher in a private school in 1930s Edinburgh ignores the curriculum and influences her impressionable 12-year-old charges with he...
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The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
1972
Travels with My Aunt
5.8/34
At his mother's funeral, stuffy bank clerk Henry Pulling meets his Aunt Augusta, an elderly eccentric with more-than-shady dealings who pulls him alon...
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Travels with My Aunt
1985
A Room with a View
7/741
When Lucy Honeychurch and chaperon Charlotte Bartlett find themselves in Florence with rooms without views, fellow guests Mr Emerson and son George st...
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A Room with a View
1976
Murder by Death
7.189/804
Lionel Twain invites the world's five greatest detectives to a 'dinner and murder'. Included are a blind butler, a deaf-mute maid, screams, spinning r...
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Murder by Death
1978
Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette
6.3/3
Featurette documenting the making of the film "Death On The Nile".
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Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette
1982
The Making of Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun'
8.5/2
Director Guy Hamilton and several of the stars of Agatha Christie's "Evil Under The Sun" walk you through the making of the film.
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The Making of Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun'
1995
Richard III
6.7/174
A murderous lust for the British throne sees Richard III descend into madness. Though the setting is transposed to the 1930s, England is torn by civil...
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Richard III
1993
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
6.4/1787
Deloris Van Cartier is again asked to don the nun's habit to help a run-down Catholic school, presided over by Mother Superior. And if trying to reach...
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Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
2004
Ladies in Lavender
6.373/126
Andrea, a gifted young Polish violinist from Krakow, is bound for America when he is swept overboard by a storm. When the Widdington sisters discover...
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Ladies in Lavender
2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
8.093/20504
Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wiza...
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2002
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
6.1/235
A mother and daughter dispute is resolved by the "Yaya sisterhood" - long time friends of the mother.
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Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
1978
California Suite
5.8/102
The misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
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California Suite
1968
Hot Millions
6.6/25
A con artist gains employment at an insurance company in order to embezzle money by re-programming their "new" wonder computer.
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Hot Millions
2005
Keeping Mum
6.6/554
A pastor preoccupied with writing the perfect sermon fails to realize that his wife is having an affair and his children are up to no good.
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Keeping Mum
2010
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
6.297/1818
Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arriv...
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Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
1987
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
6.6/25
A penniless middle-aged spinster scrapes by giving piano lessons in the Dublin of the 1950s. She makes a sad last bid for love with a fellow resident...
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The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
2003
My House in Umbria
6/32
Emily Delahunty is an eccentric British romance novelist who lives in Umbria in central Italy. One day while travelling, the train she is on is bombed...
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My House in Umbria
1967
The Honey Pot
6.6/57
A millionaire fakes a terminal illness to fleece his former girlfriends.
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The Honey Pot
1963
The V.I.P.s
6.2/53
Wealthy passengers fogged in at London's Heathrow Airport fight to survive a variety of personal trials.
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The V.I.P.s
1965
Othello
6.4/25
General Othello's marriage is destroyed when vengeful Ensign Iago convinces him that his new wife has been unfaithful.
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Othello
1997
Washington Square
6.1/41
Set in 1870's New York, a spinster heiress is courted by a much younger, penniless man, much to the chagrin of her over-protective father, and must de...
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Washington Square
2011
Gnomeo & Juliet
5.9/1931
A version of Shakespeare's play, set in the world of warring indoor and outdoor gnomes. Garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet have as many obstacles to over...
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Gnomeo & Juliet
1981
Quartet
5.8/31
When her husband's arrest leaves her penniless, a woman accepts an invitation to move in with a strange couple.
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Quartet
1973
Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing
5.8/6
While bicycling through the Spanish countryside, Walter, the aimless young son of a doctor, makes the acquaintance of proper, middle-aged, clumsy and...
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Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing
2000
The Last September
5.2/11
In 1920s Ireland, an elderly couple reside over a tired country estate. Living with them are their high-spirited niece, their Oxford student nephew, a...
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The Last September
2009
From Time to Time
6.3/106
A haunting ghost story spanning two worlds, two centuries apart. When 13 year old Tolly finds he can mysteriously travel between the two, he begins an...
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From Time to Time
1998
Curtain Call
5/23
A bachelor afraid of marriage angers his long-time girlfriend by buying a splendid townhouse just for himself, only to find it haunted by the ghosts o...
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Curtain Call
1958
Nowhere to Go
6.5/25
A professional thief is sprung from prison with the assistance of a new partner who wants to know where he's hid his loot.
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Nowhere to Go
1964
The Pumpkin Eater
6.7/41
Jo, the mother of seven children, divorces her second husband in order to marry Jake, a successful but promiscuous screenwriter. Though they are physi...
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The Pumpkin Eater
2023
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
6.375/8
The extraordinary life of playwright, singer, actor, composer, and director Noël Coward, who rose from poverty to stardom while keeping his sexuality...
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Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
1982
The Missionary
5.5/33
In 1905, after 10 years of missionary work in Africa, the Rev. Charles Fortesque is recalled to England, where his bishop gives him his new assignment...
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The Missionary
2012
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
6.942/1328
British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Mari...
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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
1984
A Private Function
6.3/40
In the summer of 1947, Britain prepares to commemorate the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. To get around food-rationing laws, Dr. Ch...
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A Private Function
2012
Quartet
6.5/361
Cissy, Reggie, and Wilf are in a home for retired musicians. Every year, there is a concert to celebrate Composer Giuseppe Verdi's birthday and they t...
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Quartet
1972
The Millionairess
7/1
One of Shaw's later plays, The Millionairess explores his fascination with the machinations of capitalism. Epifania is glamorous, clever... and also t...
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The Millionairess
1983
Mrs. Silly
0/0
Mrs. Silly, a woman who has lost her husband to another, is now about to lose her son to an expensive boarding school, compliments of her ex's money....
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Mrs. Silly
1984
Lily in Love
6/3
Insulted when his screenwriter wife writes a leading role for a younger man, aging Broadway idol Fitz Wynn disguises himself as a handsome young Itali...
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Lily in Love
1965
Young Cassidy
6.2/18
In Dublin circa 1911, John Cassidy (Rod Taylor), an impoverished idealist, whose ambitions are restricted by the demands of looking after his family,...
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Young Cassidy
2007
Capturing Mary
6.3/25
A young man ushers an older woman into a dark exploration of her past - back to the time when, as a young girl, she met a stranger who affected her li...
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Capturing Mary
1993
Suddenly, Last Summer
6/4
Catharine Holly, a poor relation of a prominent New Orleans family, seems to be insane after her cousin Sebastian dies under mysterious circumstances...
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Suddenly, Last Summer
1962
Go to Blazes
6.3/9
A gang of aspiring bank robbers involve themselves with arsonists and purchase their very own fire truck in an attempt to create the ultimate diversio...
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Go to Blazes
2004
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
7.444/18
A 2004 documentary on the first three “Harry Potter” films detailing the behind-the-scenes journey of making them.
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The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
2015
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
6.4/706
As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals - Sonny pursues his expans...
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The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
2022
The Marvellous Maggie Smith: A Celebration
0/0
A look at Dame Maggie Smith's life from a two-up two-down in Essex to Broadway and Hollywood. Starring in more than 60 films and 70 plays across her 7...
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The Marvellous Maggie Smith: A Celebration
2014
My Old Lady
6.214/257
Mathias Gold is a down-on-his-luck New Yorker who inherits a Parisian apartment from his estranged father. But when he arrives in France to sell the v...
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My Old Lady
2008
Maggie Smith at the BBC: a portrait
0/0
An exclusive featurette in which directors and fellow actors speaks about Maggie Smith's career and her way of working.
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Maggie Smith at the BBC: a portrait
1967
Much Ado About Nothing
5/1
A film of the National Theatre's presentation of the Shakespeare play.
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Much Ado About Nothing
1983
Better Late Than Never
4.7/3
Two men show up claiming to be the grandfather of a child heiress.
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Better Late Than Never
2015
The Lady in the Van
6.416/734
The true story of the relationship between Alan Bennett and the singular Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who ‘temporarily’ parked her van...
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The Lady in the Van
1999
All the King's Men
6.2/17
Feature-length drama about the mystery of Sandringham Company, which disappeared in action at Gallipoli in 1915. Commanded by Captain Frank Beck, thei...
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All the King's Men
1988
Talking Heads
5/1
Six monologues tell the stories of six different repressed souls: a man dominated by his mother, a vicar's wife, an inveterate letter writer, a hopefu...
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Talking Heads
1972
The Merchant of Venice
7/1
Maggie Smith, Frank Finlay and Charles Gray star in the adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic play. The Venice Titian and the Belmont of Bottice...
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The Merchant of Venice
2015
Dames of Classic Drama at the BBC
0/0
From the BBC archives, before their talents were recognised by royal decree, the early work and career defining moments of Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, D...
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Dames of Classic Drama at the BBC
2013
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
7/3
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the National Theatre of Great Britain presents National Theatre: 50 Years on Stage, bringing together the best Brit...
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National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
2017
Woolf Works
2/1
The first revival of Wayne McGregor’s critically acclaimed ballet triptych to music by Max Richter, inspired by the works of Virginia Woolf.
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Woolf Works
1956
Child in the House
5.8/4
A lonely child must stay with her uncaring aunt and uncle after her mother is hospitalized. Her estranged father is a fugitive. For love and companion...
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Child in the House
2017
Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches
0/0
Documentary about the life and career of Australian actor Rod Taylor.
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Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches
2018
Nothing Like a Dame
6.9/51
BBC Arena's documentary on the Dames of British Theatre and film featuring Maggie Smith, Elieen Atkins, Judi Dench and Joan Plowright on screen togeth...
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Nothing Like a Dame
2018
Sherlock Gnomes
5.7/710
Garden gnomes Gnomeo & Juliet recruit renown detective Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ornaments.
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Sherlock Gnomes
2019
Downton Abbey
7.146/1114
The beloved Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England w...
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Downton Abbey
1990
Romeo.Juliet
0/0
The tale centers on an eccentric bag lady who rescues the stray cats of Venice and puts them on a boat to set sail for the new world. It has not been...
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Romeo.Juliet
2016
Robin And Mark And Richard III
9/1
Theatre director Robin Phillips rehearses actor Mark McKinney over the course of 3 years.
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Robin And Mark And Richard III
2006
The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays
0/0
The Great White Way comes into your living room via this disc of rare performances from some of Broadway's brightest luminaries. Culled from clips fro...
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The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays
1992
Memento Mori
7/3
Several elderly friends and acquaintances in 1950s London are disturbed to receive mysterious telephone calls predicting their impending deaths...
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Memento Mori
2021
A Boy Called Christmas
7.4/702
An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover...
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A Boy Called Christmas
2019
Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event
7.1/19
An hour long special hosted by Derek Hough and filmed at the historic Highclere Castle in England. Hough talks to the cast about what made the series...
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Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event
1965
Olivier Talks About Othello
0/0
Promotional short hosted by Laurence Olivier promoting the film "Othello."
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Olivier Talks About Othello
2002
The Making of 'Gosford Park'
5/2
A documentary giving film fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making this Robert Altman film about a murder at an English country estate. Includes in...
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The Making of 'Gosford Park'
2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era
7.201/474
The Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the south of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa. Meanwhile, a...
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Downton Abbey: A New Era
2023
The Miracle Club
6.1/86
Three close friends who have never left the outskirts of Dublin (much less Ireland) get the journey of a lifetime — a visit to Lourdes, the picturesqu...
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