Dame Maggie Smith, who died a week ago aged 89, had the rare distinction of being an actor of instant recognition for multiple generations. For the Harry Potter kids, she is forever Professor Minerva McGonagall, cat-transfiguring head of Gryffindor. For fans of the six seasons and film spin-offs of Downton Abbey, Smith’s waspish and utterly correct Dowager Countess of Grantham was the reason to watch. Others may nominate The Lady in the Van or Sister Act or A Room with a View as their perfect Maggie moment.

With a theatre, television and film résumé that stretched more than six decades, Smith was revered for her dramatic and comedic flair. Her Academy Awards recognised this: she won Best Actress for 1969′s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (drama) and Best Supporting Actress for 1978′s California Suite (comedy). Also on her shelf: Emmys for Downton, Baftas, Golden Globes, a Tony Award and a suite of nominations and honours.

As the charismatic teacher Jean Brodie, pictured here, her character’s urging of her favoured pupils to become “the crème de la crème” foretold her own career. She did, indeed, become just that.