My incredible mother gave me a gift that keeps on giving

As he backs a Christmas appeal to send books into prisons, Toby Stephens on how Dame Maggie Smith inspired his love of reading, the moving public response to her passing... and why playing a Bond villain early on ruled him out as 007

- By Matt Nixson

Playing Bond baddie Gustav Graves opposite Pierce Brosnan's 007

THE outpouring of affection for Dame Maggie Smith following her passing at the age of 89 last year surprised absolutely no one. Claims of national treasurehood from the likes of King Charles and the Prime Minister, however, might have caused the Grand Dame herself to arch one of those famous eyebrows, according to her son.

“She was incredible but she never really coveted fame,” explains actor Toby Stephens thoughtfully. “I don’t think she saw herself in that light at all. She certainly never took it for granted or sought it out — really it was just her work.”

A star of stage and screen for an extraordinary seven decades, Dame Maggie’s death robbed us of one of our most singular talents. Having made her name in theatre in the early Fifties, she became one of Britain’s most prolific and recognisable actors in everything from Harry Potter to Downton Abbey, working almost until the end.

“She was a very private person who didn’t put herself out there,” continues Toby. “So it’s very moving that people connected with her and respected her so much.”

Growing up the son of theatre royalty (his father was the actor Robert Stephens), he warmly recalls his famous mother’s love of reading and books which she passed on to Toby and his older brother Chris. It’s a gift that has kept on giving. “Reading and books were a huge part of my mum’s life. Both my mum and my stepdad (playwright and screenwriter Beverley Cross) read voraciously,” he smiles. “So it’s always been part of my life. And now more than ever, because our attention spans are so scattered by technology, it’s really important.”