Maisie Smith
Encyclopedia
Maisie Lily Smith is an English actress. She has appeared in the feature film The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and has played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders
since 2008.
, for about 18 months and began working professionally at a young age. In 2006, she was cast in the film The Other Boleyn Girl as a young Elizabeth I; the film was released in February 2008. She went on to secure the role of Tiffany Dean
in the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
. Smith made her first appearance on the soap on 1 April 2008, at the age of six, as the daughter of Bianca Jackson
(Patsy Palmer
). Smith has bowled over viewers with her 'unique' performance as Tiffany. Smith's mother said of her role, "The role is an exaggeration of her own personality, she's a little madam. A lively character both on and off screen. The difference is, she's told to pronounce her t's at home!She is not star-struck at all and has her feet very firmly on the ground. She is an extremely confident child and a great actress." Smith's father, Steven said “She gets recognised quite a lot when we go out as a family. It’s funny when you see people nudge each other and you can hear them saying, ‘Is that the girl off EastEnders?’
Just a number of months after her casting, Maisie said she was loving being on EastEnders, telling the Echo (Essex) "“I love being on EastEnders. I really get on with Patsy who plays my mum. She looks after me so well. It’s like I’m her real daughter some days. Everyone is really nice. Pam St Clement, who plays Pat Butcher, is also really lovely to me. I’m glad I get to be cheeky and say some funny lines. I would never want to be a goody goody. It’s strange people point at me in the street now and ask if I’m the girl from EastEnders. All my friends think it’s great I’m on television. I think I will want to be an actress forever now.”
Digital Spy
's Kris Green has said Maisie Smith is "brilliant" and "one...to watch", comparing her to Ellis Hollins
, the award-winning child actor who plays Tom Cunningham
in the Channel 4
teen soap opera Hollyoaks
. She has also been praised by stage school teacher Sandra Singer, who said: "Maisie has the most incredible memory and when it comes to script work she is fantastic. It is often very difficult for a six-year-old to act, but she handles it really well and adores it."
In 2010 Maisie was asked to appear on CITV's Bookaboo and read the story 'Stinky' by Ian Whybrow. Maisie told the CITV website that she loved reading but didn't get the chance to visit the library very often as she is busy with school and filming EastEnders. Maisie said, "You have to be quiet in libraries which is really hard for me as I'm very loud. I would probably come last in a 'who can stay quiet the longest' competition!" Maisie became the Bookaboo child storytime Ambassador and helped with a campaign to get more older siblings to read with younger brothers and sisters.
In 2011 Maisie was interviewed by 'The Stage' magazine where she talked about her role in EastEnders. Smith said, “Sudden fame can be tricky when you are just out having fun and people keep wanting to take your photo, but the EastEnders people are very supportive and have said that we can politely say no in situations where we feel uncomfortable. I am very glad that my break came with EastEnders, as they are like a family who look after you. Working on the show has given me the chance to learn so much from the actors, especially those who are in my TV family. There are lots of things you can only learn from actually working on a set. The stage school I attend –also Singer Stage School – prepares you really well, but it is so different when you are actually there on set being filmed. Just a few things I have learned
are how to read a script properly (not only my lines but stage directions and any acting I need to be doing in the background), how to work with adults in the workplace, which is very different from being at school, and lots of different wordswhich I didn’t know before such as
“running up”, “turning”, “action” and “cut”. As well as all of that, you need to be real by adding in some of your own character. I am quite
a lively character in real life, so I do take that on to the set and they have got used to me and like me turning it into my Tiffany
character. “Perhaps my most useful lesson has been that while this is an amazing experience, whether you are famous or not, directors can be
quite strict, so you must listen all the time and be punctual. Working to such a tight schedule can also mean very long days and I do
get tired – but I still can’t wait to go back in the next time.”
, Essex
, with her mother Julia, father Stephen and sister Scarlett. Smith attends Chalkwell Junior School in Leigh-on-Sea. She attends Singer Stage School.
Maisie joined the Sandra Singer Stage School Wannabees class for 4-6 year olds when she was 4 years old. She later went on to join the older class which as of 2011, she still attends.
Maisie is a big fan of Doctor Who
and would love to be in the programme one day. She is also looks up to Dr Who star David Tennant
and says he is one of her favourite actors. Maisie has two pets, two Jack Russell dogs and two fish. Before joining EastEnders in 2008, Smith enjoyed gymnastics but had to give it up due to not having time to attend classes anymore. Maisie's favourite school subject is art.
. In May 2010, Smith was nominated for the same award but lost out to Doctors star Ami Metcalf. In 2010 Smith was nominated for Best Young Actor at the Inside Soap Awards 2010, along with co-star Lorna Fitzgerald
(Abi Branning
), but lost to Coronation Street
actor Alex Bain (Simon Barlow
). In 2011 Smith was again shortlisted for the Best Young Actor award at the British Soap Awards
, which was also won by Bain. In 2011 Smith was nominated and won Best Young Actor at the Inside Soap
awards.
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
since 2008.
Career
Smith attended the Singer Stage School, in Leigh-on-SeaLeigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea , sometimes called Leigh, is a civil parish in Essex, England. It is part of Southend-on-Sea for administrative purposes. It became a civil parish in 1996. The council tax was increased to support it. A town council was formed. Leigh is the only parish in Southend...
, for about 18 months and began working professionally at a young age. In 2006, she was cast in the film The Other Boleyn Girl as a young Elizabeth I; the film was released in February 2008. She went on to secure the role of Tiffany Dean
Tiffany Dean
Tiffany Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Maisie Smith. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson and Ricky Butcher , though originally she was believed to be Bianca's daughter with a man named Nathan Dean...
in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. Smith made her first appearance on the soap on 1 April 2008, at the age of six, as the daughter of Bianca Jackson
Bianca Jackson
Bianca Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character...
(Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer is an English actress. Palmer made an early television appearance on the children's drama show Grange Hill, but is best known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera EastEnders. Originally in the cast from 1993–1999, Palmer returned to EastEnders in...
). Smith has bowled over viewers with her 'unique' performance as Tiffany. Smith's mother said of her role, "The role is an exaggeration of her own personality, she's a little madam. A lively character both on and off screen. The difference is, she's told to pronounce her t's at home!She is not star-struck at all and has her feet very firmly on the ground. She is an extremely confident child and a great actress." Smith's father, Steven said “She gets recognised quite a lot when we go out as a family. It’s funny when you see people nudge each other and you can hear them saying, ‘Is that the girl off EastEnders?’
Just a number of months after her casting, Maisie said she was loving being on EastEnders, telling the Echo (Essex) "“I love being on EastEnders. I really get on with Patsy who plays my mum. She looks after me so well. It’s like I’m her real daughter some days. Everyone is really nice. Pam St Clement, who plays Pat Butcher, is also really lovely to me. I’m glad I get to be cheeky and say some funny lines. I would never want to be a goody goody. It’s strange people point at me in the street now and ask if I’m the girl from EastEnders. All my friends think it’s great I’m on television. I think I will want to be an actress forever now.”
Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
's Kris Green has said Maisie Smith is "brilliant" and "one...to watch", comparing her to Ellis Hollins
Ellis Hollins
Ellis Hollins is a British Soap Award winning child actor. He is most famous for playing the role Tom Cunningham in the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, which he has played since 1999...
, the award-winning child actor who plays Tom Cunningham
Tom Cunningham
Thomas "Tom" Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ellis Hollins. Hollins has portrayed the character since his birth in 1999.-Storylines:...
in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
teen soap opera Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
. She has also been praised by stage school teacher Sandra Singer, who said: "Maisie has the most incredible memory and when it comes to script work she is fantastic. It is often very difficult for a six-year-old to act, but she handles it really well and adores it."
In 2010 Maisie was asked to appear on CITV's Bookaboo and read the story 'Stinky' by Ian Whybrow. Maisie told the CITV website that she loved reading but didn't get the chance to visit the library very often as she is busy with school and filming EastEnders. Maisie said, "You have to be quiet in libraries which is really hard for me as I'm very loud. I would probably come last in a 'who can stay quiet the longest' competition!" Maisie became the Bookaboo child storytime Ambassador and helped with a campaign to get more older siblings to read with younger brothers and sisters.
In 2011 Maisie was interviewed by 'The Stage' magazine where she talked about her role in EastEnders. Smith said, “Sudden fame can be tricky when you are just out having fun and people keep wanting to take your photo, but the EastEnders people are very supportive and have said that we can politely say no in situations where we feel uncomfortable. I am very glad that my break came with EastEnders, as they are like a family who look after you. Working on the show has given me the chance to learn so much from the actors, especially those who are in my TV family. There are lots of things you can only learn from actually working on a set. The stage school I attend –also Singer Stage School – prepares you really well, but it is so different when you are actually there on set being filmed. Just a few things I have learned
are how to read a script properly (not only my lines but stage directions and any acting I need to be doing in the background), how to work with adults in the workplace, which is very different from being at school, and lots of different wordswhich I didn’t know before such as
“running up”, “turning”, “action” and “cut”. As well as all of that, you need to be real by adding in some of your own character. I am quite
a lively character in real life, so I do take that on to the set and they have got used to me and like me turning it into my Tiffany
character. “Perhaps my most useful lesson has been that while this is an amazing experience, whether you are famous or not, directors can be
quite strict, so you must listen all the time and be punctual. Working to such a tight schedule can also mean very long days and I do
get tired – but I still can’t wait to go back in the next time.”
Personal life
Smith lives in Westcliff-on-SeaWestcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea is a suburb of Southend-on-Sea, a seaside resort in the East of England and unitary authority in Essex. It is situated on the northern bank of the Thames Estuary and about 34 miles east of London.-Geography:...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, with her mother Julia, father Stephen and sister Scarlett. Smith attends Chalkwell Junior School in Leigh-on-Sea. She attends Singer Stage School.
Maisie joined the Sandra Singer Stage School Wannabees class for 4-6 year olds when she was 4 years old. She later went on to join the older class which as of 2011, she still attends.
Maisie is a big fan of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
and would love to be in the programme one day. She is also looks up to Dr Who star David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
and says he is one of her favourite actors. Maisie has two pets, two Jack Russell dogs and two fish. Before joining EastEnders in 2008, Smith enjoyed gymnastics but had to give it up due to not having time to attend classes anymore. Maisie's favourite school subject is art.
Awards
In May 2009, Smith won 'Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress' at the British Soap AwardsBritish Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
. In May 2010, Smith was nominated for the same award but lost out to Doctors star Ami Metcalf. In 2010 Smith was nominated for Best Young Actor at the Inside Soap Awards 2010, along with co-star Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Katie Fitzgerald is a British actress from Northampton. She lives in Hunsbury. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the British soap opera EastEnders.- Personal life :...
(Abi Branning
Abi Branning
Abigail "Abi" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006.- Storylines :...
), but lost to Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
actor Alex Bain (Simon Barlow
Simon Barlow
Simon Barlow is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, and has been played by Alex Bain since 2008. The character was played by twins Jake and Oscar Hartley on his birth in 2003.-Character development:...
). In 2011 Smith was again shortlisted for the Best Young Actor award at the British Soap Awards
British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
, which was also won by Bain. In 2011 Smith was nominated and won Best Young Actor at the Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
awards.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Other Boleyn Girl The Other Boleyn Girl The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical fiction novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. Reviews were mixed; some said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England, while others have consistently... |
Young Elizabeth |
| 2008–present | EastEnders EastEnders EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End... |
Tiffany Butcher/Tiffany Dean Tiffany Dean Tiffany Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Maisie Smith. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson and Ricky Butcher , though originally she was believed to be Bianca's daughter with a man named Nathan Dean... |
| 2010 | EastEnders: The Last Tango in Walford | Tiffany Dean Tiffany Dean Tiffany Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Maisie Smith. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson and Ricky Butcher , though originally she was believed to be Bianca's daughter with a man named Nathan Dean... |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | EastEnders: Ricky and Bianca | |
| 2009–2011 | The British Soap Awards | Award Winner/Nominee |
| 2009 | Children In Need Children in Need Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long... |
EastEnders EastEnders EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End... special |
| 2010 | EastEnders Live: The Aftermath | Behind The Scenes special |
| 2011 | Bookaboo Bookaboo Bookaboo is a British children's television series for young children created and produced by Lucy Goodman of Happy Films, co-directed by Lucy with Ian Emes and commissioned by Emma Tennant for CITV. The 26 episode show features puppets, celebrities, picture books, songs and animation... |
Guest Star |
| 2011 | Comic Relief Comic Relief Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief... |
Guest star for EastEnders EastEnders EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End... |
| 2011 | EastEnders Revealed | "Whitney Whitney Dean Whitney Dean is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Shona McGarty. The character is the adoptive daughter of long-running character Bianca Jackson , and was introduced in April 2008 when Palmer returned to the series after a six year absence... 's Story" |