Maggie Smith's acting performance in Downton Abbey was the best in a generation

British actress Maggie Smith died on Friday at the age of 89. While her acting career spanned 70 years, it was her roles in Harry Potter. Franchise and the series “Downton Abbey” — roles she played later in life — that brought her worldwide fame and, as she said, made it nearly impossible for her to go anywhere without being recognized.

The Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, her character in Downton Abbey, is one of the best-acted roles of a generation. Seemingly a supporting character, she still often managed to steal the show with her acerbic wit, one-line quips, and comedic timing. She offered audiences both light relief and pithy or sharp aphorisms, and in many ways became the moral compass of the Downton world. (“Do you enjoy these games where the player has to appear ridiculous?” asks Sir Richard, Lady Mary’s then fiancé, as a supporting actor during a game of charades. “Sir Richard,” replies the widow, “Life is a game in which the player must appear ridiculous.”)

What's notable is that the widow embodied tradition while embracing progress – a balance that I think many of us long for, as these two ideas are falsely portrayed as opposites.

My friend Hannah, also a Downton fan, noted that our longing for tradition and progress – and our collective resistance to this false dichotomy – was the reason people liked The Widow. And it's the same reason so many Americans have embraced Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee: He seems to represent tradition and progressivism at the same time. In this increasingly disorienting world, where previously established points and ideas and systems are disintegrating, preserving some things of the past can be a necessary and profound exercise. Similarly, the widow represented that duality, that vastness, that many of us long for.

Smith's skills as an actress allowed her to embody this spectrum with great humility, humor and conviction. Julian Fellowes, the creator of the “Downton Abbey” show, said on NPR's “Fresh Air” in 2012: “Smith has an extraordinary ability to incorporate many different aspects of a character into her portrayal, but they never seem contradictory… a lesser actor would do that, you know.” I find it difficult to be kind and cruel at the same time, or superficial here but quite profound here. But she manages to combine all these elements into a believable woman.”

Her character was tough and pragmatic, but extremely loving and heart-centered. “I’m no romantic,” she tells Cousin Isobel, “but even I admit that the heart isn’t just about pumping blood.”

Isobel, who passionately insisted on progress and modernity, was the perfect foil for the widow. The irony, of course, was that Isobel was ultimately more rigid (and therefore more conservative in her own way), while the Widow was more flexible and expansive, covering greater ideological distances over the course of her life.

In a contentious moment during dinner, when the younger characters begin to argue, the widow tries to put an end to the disturbance. “But I admire it when young people stand up for their principles,” explains Isobel. “Principles are like prayers,” jokes the widow, “Noble, of course, but uncomfortable at a party.”

And there is the both/and. I am not suggesting that we praise respectability politics or prevent disruption. In fact, I think this is extremely important. But the truth contained in this joke is deeply humbling (not to mention funny) for someone like me, who can easily drift into self-righteousness.

In another scene, Lady Edith, the widow's granddaughter, questions the “suitability” of having a black singer perform at Downton. “My dear, we rural people must be careful not to be provincial,” replies her grandmother. “Try to soak up your time in London a little more.”

The widow's forward-looking worldview was expressed in her prioritization of actions over words, which in itself may be an example of her own brand of openness – a willingness to engage with the world rather than shy away from and resist it . And responsibility was just as important to the character. She notes, “It’s not enough to just mean well.”

Smith's Dowager Countess was the moral compass of the series. And seemingly the most stuffy and classic character in the series. She was rooted in the past and at the same time strived for the present. There is no better testament to Smith's brilliance as an actress than her ability to embody both at the same time.