Maggie Smith’s sons are both actors – and one was once a James Bond villain

The precocious Dame Maggie Smith died aged 89 connected Friday arsenic her sons announced she ‘passed distant peacefully’ – but who are brothers Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens?

Outside of her acclaimed career, the Downton Abbey prima led a turbulent idiosyncratic beingness and joined her archetypal husband, histrion Sir Robert Stephens, successful 1967 – the aforesaid twelvemonth she gave commencement to her eldest lad Larkin, 57, and 2 years earlier her 2nd lad Stephens, 55, was born.

The brace went connected to prima unneurotic successful her Oscar-winning movie The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and the nominated movie Travels with My Aunt.

By 1970, however, the matrimony was enactment nether unit by Stephens’ mental health troubles (including an attempted suicide) and infidelity, with Smith calling their matrimony ‘hopeless’ successful a 2004 interview.

Smith joined playwright Beverley Cross successful 1975 aft her divorce, and the brace remained unneurotic until Cross died successful 1998 – each portion she continued to rise her sons.

They paid tribute to their parent successful a statement. ‘She leaves 2 sons and 5 loving grandchildren who are devastated by the nonaccomplishment of their bonzer parent and grandmother,’ they said.

And their transportation with the acting fable goes beyond biology arsenic some men ended up successful the TV and movie manufacture conscionable similar their parent – and you’ll apt recognise them successful immoderate of their bigger roles.

In a 2014 interrogation with the Telegraph, Smith joked astir her sons’ prime to articulation the aforesaid industry.

‘God knows, they weren’t encouraged. I deliberation they benignant of fought it, but I’m gladsome they gave successful due to the fact that adjacent with each its horrors this assemblage is fascinating,’ she said astatine the time.

What movies and TV shows has Toby Stephens been in?

British histrion Toby Stephens is possibly champion known for his relation arsenic James Bond villain Gustav Graves successful the 2002 movie, Die Another Day.

His different credits person included starring arsenic Doctor Edward Armstrong successful BBC thriller And Then There Were None, arsenic Captain Flint successful the pirate play Black Sails, and embodying Poseidon successful Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

Oh, and Mr Rochester successful the 2006 adaptation of Jane Eyre other Ruth Wilson. He adjacent made a cameo successful Netflix’s caller bid One Day arsenic Lionel.

In 2012 the father-of-three admitted that helium had nary involvement successful ever sharing the signifier oregon surface with his mother.

‘I person a argumentation with my mum — we some benignant of deliberation that the household acting happening is simply a spot naff. I cringe erstwhile I spot that idiosyncratic evidently thought, ‘Hey, we’re some actors, wherefore don’t we bash thing together?’ helium said astatine the time.

He besides ended up crossing paths with his precocious biologic begetter during their overlapping clip astatine the Royal Shakespeare Company and reflected connected the acquisition successful The Telegraph successful 2014.

‘It was bully gathering him erstwhile I did and getting to cognize him due to the fact that past I didn’t person this baggage of being aggravated with him,’ helium said astatine the time.

‘I had a fantastic stepfather truthful I didn’t resent him successful immoderate way, though I was unnerved by him. He was not an casual antheral though helium was incredibly charming, gregarious and fun.’

What movies and TV shows has Chris Larkin been in?

Stephens’ older member Larkin has besides enjoyed a fruitful vocation arsenic a nonrecreational actor.

In 2019 helium appeared arsenic Nigel Jones successful Keira Knightley’s movie Official Secrets and his different large films see 2003 deed Master and Commander and 2008’s Valkyrie arsenic Sergeant Helm.

Elsewhere, helium starred arsenic Richard Brown successful Outlander and adjacent did his ain stint successful his brother’s play Black Sails arsenic Captain Berringer. As good arsenic playing Bernard Wooley successful Yes, Prime Minster.

He has besides cameo’d successful Doctor Who, Casualty, Holby City and adjacent appeared successful the 1996 mentation of Jane Eyre arsenic Frederick Lynn alongside William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Larkin has been candid astir his sanction alteration astatine 19, citing that helium was keen to abstracted his nonrecreational and idiosyncratic beingness aft the sanction Christopher Stephens was already taken.

‘I wanted to bash it connected my own,’ Larkin told The Times successful 2013.

‘My father, was ever trying to get maine to commercialized connected the household connection. He ne'er got the changing of the name.

‘He would go: “Why don’t you alteration it back?” But that was the prime I made. And I wouldn’t person been capable to unrecorded with myself if I had gone backmost connected it. It would person been admitting defeat.’

Unlike Stephens, Larkin has worked with Smith earlier including 1999 movie Tea With Mussolini.

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