Ian McKellen gives hilarious impression of Maggie Smith

If you’re a fan of Maggie Smith then you’ll know she has a witty sense of humour.

Some of her sassy quips are well known, particularly on shows such as Downtown Abbey.

Now, Sir Ian McKellen has done an impression of a hilarious quip she made to him at the Oscars many years ago – and it has people laughing along on social media.

McKellen was on The Graham Norton Show talking about the Oscars when he recounted the hilarious encounter with Dame Maggie.

He was nominated for an award for his role as the wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and thought the NZ good luck charm – pounamu – around his neck would help.

“When we were on the red carpet going into the ceremony, I met Maggie Smith,” he said.

Then he gave a hilarious impression of her greeting him and asking him what he was at the Oscars for.

“She said, ‘what’s that round your neck’, and I said that’s my pounamu Maggie,” he recalled.

“‘Oh your pounamu, what’s that for” he said she responded.

“If I wear it it’ll bring me luck.”

Then McKellen gave another impression of her sassy response.

But that wasn’t the end of their encounter that night.

After the Oscars finished and McKellen didn’t win, he encountered Dame Maggie again – and she was there to rub some salt in the wound.

“A bit dejected you come out looking for a drink and you bump into Maggie Smith and she points at you and says ‘Didn’t work, did it?'” he recalled.

The whole segment had Graham Norton, fellow guest Hugh Jackman and the audience in stitches.

Watch it below and have a giggle!

What do you think of his impression of Maggie Smith? Did it give you a laugh?