10/09/2018
So strong.
Dame Maggie Smith seemed like a natural fit to play the no-nonsense Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter movie series. What many people don’t know is that, during the making of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Smith was battling breast cancer while still keeping up with a rigorous filming schedule.
The two-time Oscar winner discovered the lump in her breast in 2008. Speaking to The Telegraph, she said, “I didn’t think it was anything serious because years ago I felt a lump and it was benign... I assumed this would be too. It kind of takes the wind out of your sails.” Chemotherapy, she says, “makes you feel much worse than the cancer itself... You feel horribly sick. I was holding on to railings, thinking ‘I can’t do this.’” Nevertheless, she vowed to her fans that she would complete the Harry Potter films if at all possible.
Throughout the experience, Smith kept a sense of humor about the situation. When speaking of filming in the midst of her treatment, she said, “I was hairless. I had no problem getting the wig on.” And as she began to recover in 2009, she said, “The last couple of years have been a write-off, though I’m beginning to feel like a person now.”
Smith completed the Harry Potter films and went on to star in Downton Abbey, playing the bristly Violet Crawley for six seasons. She’s also acted in several films, something she was fearful she wouldn’t be able to do again because of “the amount of energy one needs to be in a film or a play.” And, recently, she announced that she had no plans to retire, stating “I think that the date for that [retiring] has gone by. I fear that I won’t work in the theater again. I’m sad about that. But I won’t retire. I think I’ll keep going with Violet and whatever other old biddy comes along.”
If you or your Mighty Girl are fans of Maggie Smith's famous character Professor McGonagall, she's now available in a stunning newly released 10" doll at https://amzn.to/2Ix5hed
You can also find Hermione-related toys, costumes, and t-shirts in our new blog post, "The Brightest Witch of Her Age: Toys, Costumes, and Clothing Celebrating Hermione Granger at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=20352
If your kids are dealing with situations that are causing them to feel worried or anxious, here are two excellent books to help: "What To Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety" for ages 7 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/what-to-do-when-you-worry-too-much) and "The Anxiety Workbook for Teens" for ages 13 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-anxiety-workbook-for-teens)
And, for stories of Mighty Girls or their loved one grappling with illness, visit our "Life Challenges" section on “Illness & Disease” at http://amgrl.co/1OYPVPE