Harry Potter's Ralph Fiennes Details Late Maggie Smith's "Lethal" Humor on Set

Ralph Fiennes solemnly swears that Maggie Smith was up to good fun on the Harry Potter set.

In fact, the Schindler’s List actor reminisced about his time with the two-time Oscar winner, who died Sept. 27 at the age of 89, and the wit she brought with her to the set of the magical franchise.

"I have to say I never worked with Maggie much, except on Harry Potter,” Ralph told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published Oct. 15. “But she had a wonderful, rather lethal sense of humor.”

And it seems the Downton Abbey—who portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall opposite Ralph’s Lord Voldemort in the wizarding saga—shared that humor in subtle ways.

“She gave me a sort of ironic side eye when we were doing one of the big confrontational scenes,” Ralph continued, “as if to say 'Darling what are we doing here?'”

And the In Bruges actor continues to cherish those on-set memories.

“I have admired her for many, many years,” Ralph shared. “She's one of our great actresses. One of our great greats. Amazing wit. She was a one-off. A great actress of many years work. I wish I had seen her on stage as a young woman. It’s a great loss, there’s no question. A great loss.”

In the time since her passing, many of Maggie’s Harry Potter colleagues have shared their recollections of her sense of humor on set—including Daniel Radcliffe. 

“She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue,” the Merrily We Roll Along star—who played the titular boy wizard in the franchise—wrote in a Sept. 27 statement, “could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny.” 

“I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set,” he continued. “The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie."

Read on to see more tributes to Dame Maggie Smith from her fellow stars. 

"When I was younger I had no idea of Maggie’s legend—the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with," the Harry Potter actress—who played Hermione Granger in the film franchise—wrote on Instagram Story. "It is only as I’ve become an adult that I’ve come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness."

Emma added of her late costar, "She was real, honest, funn and self-honouring. Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God you held your own. Than you for all of your kindness. I’ll miss you."

"The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old and we were reading through scenes for David Copperfield, which was my first job," the Harry Potter alum detailed in a statement. "I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her. The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was 'would you like me to call you Dame?' at which she laughed and said something to the effect of 'don’t be ridiculous!'"

Daniel went on to detail his lengthy on-set relationship with the beloved star. 

"I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease," he added. "She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films. She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny. I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie."

The actor, who played Fred Weasley in the Harry Potter saga, said it was "an honour to have been on the same set as Dame Maggie Smith."

"On HP, she was always welcoming, funny and also showed how to act no just on set, but off too," he added in a statement shared on social media. "My thoughts are with her family at this sad time."

"So very, very sad to know she has gone," the Godford Park star wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post. "She was a true inspiration. She took acting very seriously but saw through the nonsense and razzmatazz. She really didn’t want to deal with that. She had a sense of humour and wit that could reduce me to a blithering puddle of giggles. And she did not have patience with fools. So you had to be a bit careful. I absolutely adored her."

Kristin went on to laud the late actress for her youthful spirit.

"Her performances and her personality," Kristin continued. "Her comedic timing was perfection and her vulnerability when required was heartbreaking. The last time I saw her she was very cross about being old. 'Maddening' I think she said. Much loved , much admired and irreplaceable. Rest in Peace dearest Maggie. Dame Maggie Smith."

“There was no one quite like Maggie," Michelle said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "I feel tremendously lucky to have known such a maverick. She will be deeply missed and my thoughts are with her family.”

The Oscar winner reflected on her time filming 2002's Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, telling People, "How lucky am I to have sat in quiet corners with Maggie and a glass of wine."

She added, "Her stories, her wicked sense of humor and her gentle advice are all things that have made my life sweeter."

"Saddened to hear Dame Maggie Smith has passed," Rob—who shared the screen with Maggie in the 90s—wrote in on X (formerly Twitter). "I had the unforgettable experience of working with her; sharing a two-shot was like being paired with a lion. She could eat anyone alive, and often did. But funny, and great company. And suffered no fools. We will never see another. God speed, Ms. Smith!"

"Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress," the Sister Act star wrote in an Instagram tribute. "I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the 'one-of-a-kind.' My heartfelt condolences go out to the family. RIP."

“Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent," the Downton Abbey actor said in a statement to E! News. "She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family.” 

"Maggie Smith was a truly great actress and we were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career," the Downton Abbey creator said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "She was a joy to write for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, funny and heart-breaking. Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career, and I will never forget her.”

The United Kingdom Prime Minister remembered the late actress on X, formerly Twitter, "She was beloved by so many for her great talent, becoming a true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come."

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