The National Portrait Gallery commissioned a painting of Dame Maggie Smith that makes the Dowager Countess look like a condescending mummy overlord.
Painter James Lloyd claimed that he wanted to capture the Dame in "everyday mode" and encompass her "understated grandeur." Instead, he made the elegant septuagenarian look like an exasperated evil dead commander. The six-foot-three painting was unveiled last week in London. According to the painter, Smith is "very happy" with the results. He did mention that Smith was hesitant to have her portrait done and her first words to him were "poor you." Amazingly, we got that.
[Women in Hollywood, image via National Portrait Gallery]