Maggie Smith’s 2 Sons Followed in Her Acting Footsteps Before Her Death: Meet Chris and Toby

Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith was a dominant force in theater, film and television after stepping onto the scene as a teenager. After more than 65 years in the entertainment industry, Maggie won countless awards and proved that she was an outstanding performer. Early on in her career, she found out how to balance acting and motherhood when she welcomed her two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens.

On September 27, 2024, Maggie’s sons announced her death in a statement.

“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end,” the statement said. “She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.

“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time,” the statement concluded.

Inside Maggie Smith’s Family Life

Born in England in 1934, Maggie grew an interest in theater early on. She began performing with the Oxford University Dramatic Society before heading to Broadway to star in New Faces of ’56. The Academy Award winner later became a member of the Royal National Theatre in the ‘60s before marrying her first husband, Robert Stephens, in 1967. 

Maggie and Robert welcomed their first son together, Chris, in June 1967. Their second son, Toby, was born in April 1969. The couple divorced in 1975. The Harry Potter actress married Beverley Cross that year, staying with him until his death in 1998. Maggie and her second husband did not have any children together. She did become a grandmother after both of her sons started families of their own. 

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After Toby’s birth, Maggie returned to the stage in The Country Wife. The Tony winner kept busy, juggling life as a working mom in a competitive industry. 

“Actually I think my children enjoy me more because I work. They’d probably find me rather hateful if I didn’t. If you give up anything that you should do anyway, it’s probably very wrong,” she told The Guardian in June 1969. “One can only go on one’s instincts in this life. Lots of people do enjoy just having babies and it’s a full-time occupation, but if you are not one of those people it’s just hard cheese. I only hope it’s not too hard on the children, but it should be all right for them so long as one is constantly there.”

Though both of their parents were talented performers, Chris and Toby were not pushed to become actors. It was a path that they forged on their own. “They weren’t encouraged to act,” she told Evening Standard in December 2019. “If they wanted to do it, that was absolutely fine, but they don’t have a leg to stand on if they complain about it.”

Chris Larkin

Chris was not pressured to become an actor but found an interest in performing at a young age, much like his mother. He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before beginning his film career in 1995. He goes by his stage name, Larkin, instead of his family name Stephens. One of his biggest film roles was in 2003’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World alongside Russell Crowe. 

Chris’ other film credits include 2008’s Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and Coalition. In 2020, the actor starred in Outlander. In addition to his professional career, Chris is a father of two children, Daisy and Nathaniel, with his wife, Suki Stephens.

Toby Stephens

Toby followed in his parents’ and older brother’s footsteps with a successful acting career of his own. In 2002, he landed his breakout role as villain Gustav Graves in Die Another Day, the 20th film in the James Bond series. Maggie’s good friend Judi Dench also starred in the film. He snagged other film roles in Dark Corners, Believe and The Journey. 

The Alex Rider star has also done work in theater, radio and more than 30 television shows, including AMC’s The Walking Dead. He married Anna-Louise Plowman in 2001 and welcomed three children together: Eli, Tallulah and Kura. In a January 2014 interview, Toby made a revelation about not watching his mom’s show, Downton Abbey.

“I have to say I don’t regularly tune in,” the Black Sails star confessed. “It’s not really the kind of show that I enjoy. I appreciate what my mum does in it. She’s great in it. But it’s just not really what I enjoy watching.”