Page 31 - Aruba Today

PEOPLE & ARTS A31
Monday 18 January 2016

Maggie Smith:

Moving from ‘Downton’ to ‘Lady in the Van’

Josh Holloway poses for a portrait during the 2015 Television JILL LAWLESS guest in a 1989 essay and er, but a gift for Bennett the
Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Hol- Associated Press a 1999 play, which also writer, a witty dissector of
loway stars in the new USA series, “Colony.” LONDON (AP) — Filthy, starred Smith. class-bound English foibles
dressed in rags and living in Smith said she was keen and anxieties.
(Casey Curry/Invision/AP) a battered old van, Mag- to explore Miss Shepherd “She’s ungrateful, ungra-
gie Smith’s latest character again with the more in- cious, aggressive, rude, ar-
Josh Holloway says ‘Colony’ is a long way from “Down- tense focus of film, and to mor-plated, never gives an
characters are expendable ton Abbey” — and the ac- work with filmmaker Nicho- inch, smelly, stubborn,” Hyt-
tress couldn’t be happier. las Hytner, who also direct- ner said. “But she’s kind of
ALICIA RANCILIO pionage thriller with aliens Smith has shed her ed movie adaptations of magnificent because she
Associated Press (laughs), so it’s ... people “Downton”-era corsets and Bennett’s plays “The Mad- doesn’t compromise. She
NEW YORK (AP) — “Don’t trying to live life the way hats to play an eccentric ness of King George” and lives exactly the way she
get too attached” to the they did before the world elderly vagrant in the film “The History Boys.” wants to live. ... She turns
characters on “Colony.” was ripped out from under “The Lady in the Van.” So Smith has earned Golden all those smug middle-class
That’s Josh Holloway’s them. ... The writers want was it a relief to slide down Globe and British Acade- English people upside-
advice to viewers of the every season to be differ- the social scale? my Film Award nominations down.”
new sci-fi series, which pre- ent, so the finale’s gonna “Oh, you bet!” laughed for her performance as The film, which also stars
miered last week Thursday shock you. Smith with more energy the proud and prickly Miss Alex Jennings as Ben-
on the USA network. AP: Did you know the end than her character ex- Shepherd — a gifted pianist nett, was shot in the street
Holloway describes “Colo- point for the first season of pended in five seasons of who had spent time in psy- where the real events took
ny,” which will air regularly the series while you were the country-house costume chiatric care, once aspired place, a crescent of 19th-
at 10 p.m. EST, as “charac- filming? drama. “It was just great to to be a nun and sometimes century villas — originally
ter-driven with a dapple of Holloway: I knew a very ba- not be that stuffy.” saw saints on the streets of grand, then run-down, now
sci-fi.” The series reunites sic few pieces of informa- For many viewers, Smith’s London. gleaming again. Today the
the actor with his “Lost” tion because that’s how I Dowager Countess of “She’s a pretty complex properties are worth mil-
producer Carlton Cuse. work. I don’t want to know, Grantham — she of the person,” said Smith dur- lions but the area, Cam-
“Colony” is set in the near but there’s certain things arched eyebrow and with- ing an interview in a luxury den Town, still has its rough
future, where massive walls I need to know. I did find ering putdown — was the London hotel suite more edges.
have been erected in an out a little bit and it still sur- highlight of “Downton Ab- suited to Lady Grantham Hytner said the crew ar-
occupied Los Angeles. prised me.
Electronic communication AP: You grew up in rural British actress Dame Maggie Smith and director Nicholas Hytner chat at a hotel in London. Smith
has been blocked, and Georgia. Did you dream of has shed her “Downton Abbey”-era corsets and hats to play an eccentric elderly vagrant in the
drones track human move- going into show business? film “The Lady in the Van”, in which Smith plays Miss Shepherd, a real-life homeless woman who
ment. (“It’s an espionage Holloway: No, not at all. I parked in the driveway of writer Alan Bennett’s London house, and stayed for 15 years.
thriller with aliens,” Hollo- ran from it. I was a model
way says.) (when I was) young and I (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
These walls separate Hol- didn’t want to be that cli-
loway and his wife, played che. bey.” than Miss Shepherd — the rived early one Monday
by Sarah Wayne Callies, They were like, ‘Oh, what The final series’ current run same suite Kate Middleton morning, “opened the
from one of their sons, and are you gonna do, be an on PBS coincides with the stayed in the night before back door of the van and
they are desperate to re- actor now?’ I was like, ‘No.’ U.S. release of “The Lady she married Prince William. found a couple — young,
unite their family. So I was defensive about it in the Van,” in which Smith “I think she was a mystery to completely high — who’d
In a recent interview, Hol- at first so I tried everything. plays Miss Shepherd, a real- everybody,” added Smith, spent the weekend in the
loway talked about what ... building houses, real es- life homeless woman who who in person is warmer van.”
makes “Colony” unique tate, investing in a restau- parked in the driveway of and more chic than either “They didn’t tell me about
and how he tried not to be- rant. That didn’t work out. writer Alan Bennett’s Lon- of her recent characters. “I it,” said Smith with mock
come an actor. So I said, ‘Let’s try acting.’ don house, and stayed for think she was a mystery to outrage. “’Don’t tell Mag-
Associated Press: How is AP: When did you get your 15 years. herself, really.” gie! Don’t let Maggie
“Colony” different from SAG card? Bennett told the story of the Miss Shepherd and her con- know!’ I can’t remember
other alien-invasion series Holloway: Oh, man. I think it odd relationship he devel- tradictions were a burden when you did tell me. We’d
like “Under the Dome” or was the Arrowsmith ‘Cryin” oped with his unexpected for Bennett the homeown- finished filming. Cowards!”
“V’’? video with Alicia Silverstone
Holloway: “Colony” is and Steven Dorff. I was su-
about occupation. It’s the perexcited. I thought I was
oldest story in human his- gonna meet Arrowsmith. I
tory. You either occupy was getting ready to do a
or have been occupied knee slide in with my guitar,
by someone throughout but no. That’s fine.
human history. It’s an es-