Maggie Smith reminded me that being invisible is not my destiny

News of Dame Maggie Smith’s death was fresh in my mind when I went to see it last weekend. materialis a film about a “fading” movie star, played by Demi Moore, who turns to black market drugs that promise to create a “younger, better version of herself.” I convinced my 72-year-old mother to come with me, without saying much other than that it was both horror and science fiction.

“What’s the point?” my mother asked.

“Well,” I began. “Demi Moore plays an old actress…”

“Oh, that’s horror!” said my mother grimly.

The contrast between Moore’s character, furiously trying to create a new and better version of herself, and real-life actress Maggie Smith, who died Friday at 89, could not be starker.

Of course, Smith’s face changed over the years, but it always contained the essence we know. That fierce intelligence and humor that shines in her giant eyes. When most of us think of our beloved Maggie Smith, we think of an older woman who was very comfortable with who she was.

By Smith’s own admission, her superpower wasn’t her looks. She told a lot of introspective jokes over the years. meanwhile, downton abbey the British actor said casually. vanity fair“I play 93 a lot. When you play it so many times, you get the hint!” And she hints that she might have considered plastic surgery if she had started earlier, and rarely attends awards shows. We joked about why not. For example, in Los Angeles, I think it scares people. They don’t see older people. ”

What made Smith so phenomenal never faded. There was strength in her face, both when she was 29 and when she was 89. Enough to collect two Academy Awards, five BAFTAs, four Emmys, three Golden Globes, and one Tony Award. It’s enough to make me realize how happy I am as the face of Loewe, which, at 88 years old, will forever remain one of the greatest fashion campaigns of all time. Last fall, I was delighted to see her reflection on the side of a building near Trafalgar Square in London. There, perched on a zigzag sofa and clutching a burgundy Loewe Paseo bag, her stunning face was seemingly without makeup. I wanted to feel this power, this freedom!