Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89
The British screen great died in hospital this morning.
By Nick Reilly
The celebrated actress Dame Maggie Smith, known for her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, has died at the age of 89.
In a career spanning over 70 years, Smith won two Oscars – for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1970 and California Suite in 1979 and became one of Britain’s most recognisable screen stars.
A statement from her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.
“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Born in 1934 in east London, Dame Maggie began acting as a teenager when her family moved to Oxford where she began acting as a teenager.
Her early roles included the 1957 musical comedy Share My Lettuce alongside Kenneth Williams, before a notable screen turn in Nowhere to Go in 1958 landed smith her first Bafta nomination.
Smith famously starred as Professor McGonagall in all eight Harry Potter movies and won three Emmys for her portrayal of Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. She became a Dame in 1990 for her services to the performing arts and is among a select group of actors who have won the Triple Crown Of Acting – An Emmy, Tony and Oscar.
Paying tribute, her Downton Abbey co-star Hugh Bonneville said: “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent.
“She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family.”
“A grand star of screen and stage has departed,” added George Takei. “Maggie Smith, known most recently for her unforgettable roles as the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey and as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, passed away at age 89. Fans both old and young shall miss her dearly.”
“We’ve lost one the best today. RIP Maggie Smith,” added Omid Djalili.
“We’re saddened to hear that actor Dame Maggie Smith, best known for the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey, has died at the age of 89,” the BAFTAs said on social media. “Dame Maggie was a legend of British stage and screen, winning five BAFTAs as well as a BAFTA Special Award and BAFTA Fellowship during her highly acclaimed career.”