Emmy winner Dame Maggie Smith hilariously hits back at host Jimmy Kimmel after he dubs her lame for 'Downton Absence' at ceremony
She was feted with the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award at Sunday night's Emmy Awards.
While Dame Maggie Smith could not accept the award in person, the show's host Jimmy Kimmel drew huge attention to her absence as he stormed the stage saying: 'Maggie, if you want this, it will be in the lost and found.'
The 81-year-old actress, given the nod for her work in Downton Abbey, has now shown her wicked sense of humour as she hit back at the US funnyman in a hilarious acceptance speech.
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One is not amused: Dame Maggie Smith could not accept the award in person, the show's host Jimmy Kimmel drew huge attention to her absence as he stormed the stage saying: 'Maggie, if you want this, it will be in the lost and found'
Jimmy took aim at Maggie in his opening monologue due to the fact she has now-won four Emmys and been nominated for a whopping nine - yet never attended the ceremony, much to the chagrin of the host.
As Minnie Driver and Michael Weatherly presented the award to the star remotely, he stormed the stage, grabbed the award saying: 'Maggie, if you want this, it will be in the lost and found.'
Since Sunday night's award show, Maggie, who is famed for playing Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton, gave an incredibly witty response to Jimmy's raging speech regarding her absence.
In her remote acceptance speech she wrote: 'I was very astonished and pleased to win the award. I feel the Emmys have been overly generous to me. If Mr. Kimmel could please direct me to the lost and found office I will try and be on the next flight. Love, Old Maggie.'
Cheeky! The 81-year-old actress, given the nod for her work in Downton Abbey, has now shown her wicked sense of humour as she hit back at the US funnyman in a hilarious acceptance speech
Astonished! She made her remote acceptance speech she wrote: 'I was very astonished and pleased to win the award. I feel the Emmys have been overly generous to me. If Mr. Kimmel could please direct me to the lost and found office I will try and be on the next flight. Love, Old Maggie'
The tongue-in-cheek mutiny between the pair reached fever pitch during Jimmy's opening speech in which he spent over a minute of the seven minute monologue discussing her absence.
He said: 'This year for the first time ever, you must be present to win. If we call your name and you're not here to accept the Emmy goes to the next person on the list - it's called the Maggie Smith rule.
'This, if you don't know, is she's been nominated nine times, won three times (prior to Sunday's win). How many times do you think she turned up to accept the award? That's right, no times. This time she had a Sunday ceramics class she couldn't get out of.
'When Maggie Smith finds out she's been awarded with an Emmy she has the same reaction we get when we get Bed Bath And Beyond coupons in the mail. Right in the garbage.
Not happy: The tongue-in-cheek mutiny between the pair reached fever pitch during Jimmy's opening speech in which he spent over a minute of the seven minute monologue discussing her absence
New rules: He said: 'This year for the first time ever, you must be present to win. If we call your name and you're not here to accept the Emmy goes to the next person on the list - it's called the Maggie Smith rule'
'She goes to other awards! She went to the Oscars to get an Oscar. She went to the Tonys. She goes to the Soul Train Awards every year. But is she here in this audience tonight? I don't see her. She's Downton Absent, is what she is for the ninth time. What is wrong with us why do we keep nominating her? She's treating us like the People's Choice Awards.
'I have a message for you lame Maggie Smith if you're bothering to watch. If you want an Emmy you better get on a plane and get your Dowager Countess ass over here.'
Sunday night's win was the actress' fourth, having won twice before for her performance as Violet Crawley in Masterpiece Theatre's costume drama, as well as taking home the outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie for My House In Umbria in 2003.
Kimmel pointed out to the audience that Smith had shown up to collect her two Academy Awards, for The Prime Of Miss Brodie and California Suite back in the 1970s, and also picked up her Tony Award in 1990 for the Broadway play Lettice and Lovage.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3797353/Emmy-winner-Dame-Maggie-Smith-hilariously-hits-host-Jimmy-Kimmel-dubs-lame-Downton-Absence-ceremony.html#ixzz4KlaeEAyp
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