Watch on Soap2day. A tribute to the celebrated and enigmatic actress, with her life story told by those who knew her best, celebrating her much-loved appearances across film and TV spanning almost 70 years. Smith, who died in September of this year, had gained a new level of popularity playing the razor-tongued Lady Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey, but for all her success, remained a very private person who had little time for the trappings that came with fame. The film tells the story of a girl born in pre-war Essex who, against the odds, took Broadway and the West End by storm before eventually becoming one of the world's most popular and respected performers.