` Coveney is the only writer who could get under Smith`s skin, capturing her steeliness & vulnerability` INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY From her days as a star of West End comedy & revue, Dame Maggie`s path has led to international renown & numerous accolades including two Academy Awards. Recently she has been as prominent on our screens as ever, with high-profile roles as the formidable Dowager Countess of Grantham in DOWNTON ABBEY, as Professor Minerva Mc Gonagall in the HARRY POTTER movie franchise & as the eccentric Miss Shepherd in the film version of THE LADY IN THE VAN by Alan Bennett. Paradoxically she remains an enigmatic figure, rarely appearing in public & carefully guarding her considerable talent. Drawing on personal archives, interviews & encounters with the actress, as well as conversations with immediate family & dear friends, Michael Coveney`s biography is a captivating portrait of the real Maggie Smith.