Maggie Smith has passed away: the life and career of her sons Chris and Toby
27 september 2024 в 18:13
Dame Maggie Smith was a well-known actress, an Oscar winner, with numerous works in film, television, and theater. Originally from London, she married her fellow countryman, English actor Sir Robert Stevens on June 29, 1967, and they had two sons, Chris and Toby. The Harry Potter franchise actress passed away on September 27, 2024. Her children released a statement on the same day, announcing: «She leaves behind two sons and five loving grandchildren, who are devastated by the loss of their outstanding mother and grandmother», - according to the Associated Press.
While Dame, who left a significant mark in the world of cinema, passed away, both of her sons followed in their mother’s footsteps and became successful actors. Below, we will look at the careers and personal lives of Chris and Toby, from growing up in the shadow of their very famous mother to creating successful careers in the entertainment industry.
Born on June 19, 1967 in London, England, Chris Larkin is Maggie’s eldest son. Following in his parents' footsteps, Chris has built a brilliant career in film, television, and theater. After studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Chris appeared in his first film in 1995, «Angels and Insects». He then appeared in other films such as «Jane Eyre» in 1996, «Tea with Mussolini» in 1999, and others, as well as appearing in several TV series.
In 2001, Chris played Charles Darwin in the PBS documentary series «Evolution» and in 2003, he took on the role of Hermann Göring in the Canadian mini-series «Hitler: The Rise of Evil». He also appeared in popular shows like «Doctor Who», - «Doctor Finlay», - and «Black Sails», - a popular STARZ series about pirates, in which his younger brother also appeared! More on that later.
Some of Chris’s theatrical works include «Yes, Prime Minister», - «His Dark Materials», - «Sounds Behind the Scenes», - and «The Lady from Dubuque», - in which his mother played the lead role.
You may notice that Chris has a different last name than his parents. This was a deliberate choice by the actor, as he told the London Times in 2013, as he wanted to distance himself from the family name, so as not to «trade on family connections».
«[My father] never understood the name change», - Chris told the publication. «He would say, 'Why don’t you go back to the old one?' But it was my choice. And I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t stick with it. It would be like admitting defeat… I’ve always been an extremely independent soul».
Chris, who changed his surname in honor of his favorite poet Philip Larkin, added that in show business there are «many people» who have succeeded thanks to their parents, but «the challenge is to maintain it».
Chris married Suki Stevens in 2005 and they have two children.
Like his brother and his parents, Toby Stevens was fascinated by the performing arts from a young age. Born on April 29, 1969 in London, Toby studied at Aldro School and Seaford College before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. From there, the actor began his career, playing Othello in the 1992 film «Orlando», - after which he played leading roles in many television and theatrical projects, such as «Coriolanus», - «A Streetcar Named Desire», - and «Hamlet».
Toby continued to develop his acting career, taking on other roles on screen, such as in «The Last Stand of Custer», - the BBC series «Robin Hood», - and «Strike Back», - returning to the stage at various times, as well as voicing characters, such as James Bond for the radio adaptation of «Dr. No».
Toby perhaps had his biggest breakthrough when he played Captain James Flint in the STARZ series «Black Sails», - a prequel to «Treasure Island», - set in the «Golden Age of Piracy» in the early 18th century. He was also cast as former Prime Minister Tony Blair in the 2016 film «Journey» and as John Robinson in the Netflix remake of the 1965 series «Lost in Space»
While Dame, who left a significant mark in the world of cinema, passed away, both of her sons followed in their mother’s footsteps and became successful actors. Below, we will look at the careers and personal lives of Chris and Toby, from growing up in the shadow of their very famous mother to creating successful careers in the entertainment industry.
Born on June 19, 1967 in London, England, Chris Larkin is Maggie’s eldest son. Following in his parents' footsteps, Chris has built a brilliant career in film, television, and theater. After studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Chris appeared in his first film in 1995, «Angels and Insects». He then appeared in other films such as «Jane Eyre» in 1996, «Tea with Mussolini» in 1999, and others, as well as appearing in several TV series.
In 2001, Chris played Charles Darwin in the PBS documentary series «Evolution» and in 2003, he took on the role of Hermann Göring in the Canadian mini-series «Hitler: The Rise of Evil». He also appeared in popular shows like «Doctor Who», - «Doctor Finlay», - and «Black Sails», - a popular STARZ series about pirates, in which his younger brother also appeared! More on that later.
Some of Chris’s theatrical works include «Yes, Prime Minister», - «His Dark Materials», - «Sounds Behind the Scenes», - and «The Lady from Dubuque», - in which his mother played the lead role.
You may notice that Chris has a different last name than his parents. This was a deliberate choice by the actor, as he told the London Times in 2013, as he wanted to distance himself from the family name, so as not to «trade on family connections».
«[My father] never understood the name change», - Chris told the publication. «He would say, 'Why don’t you go back to the old one?' But it was my choice. And I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t stick with it. It would be like admitting defeat… I’ve always been an extremely independent soul».
Chris, who changed his surname in honor of his favorite poet Philip Larkin, added that in show business there are «many people» who have succeeded thanks to their parents, but «the challenge is to maintain it».
Chris married Suki Stevens in 2005 and they have two children.
Like his brother and his parents, Toby Stevens was fascinated by the performing arts from a young age. Born on April 29, 1969 in London, Toby studied at Aldro School and Seaford College before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. From there, the actor began his career, playing Othello in the 1992 film «Orlando», - after which he played leading roles in many television and theatrical projects, such as «Coriolanus», - «A Streetcar Named Desire», - and «Hamlet».
Toby continued to develop his acting career, taking on other roles on screen, such as in «The Last Stand of Custer», - the BBC series «Robin Hood», - and «Strike Back», - returning to the stage at various times, as well as voicing characters, such as James Bond for the radio adaptation of «Dr. No».
Toby perhaps had his biggest breakthrough when he played Captain James Flint in the STARZ series «Black Sails», - a prequel to «Treasure Island», - set in the «Golden Age of Piracy» in the early 18th century. He was also cast as former Prime Minister Tony Blair in the 2016 film «Journey» and as John Robinson in the Netflix remake of the 1965 series «Lost in Space»
© Kolganov Andrey
