Maggie Smith, who has graced audiences with her work in the Harry Potter films, Downton Abbey, A Room with a View and Gosford Park, has passed away at the age of 89.
According to the BBC, her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin have made the announcement with the following statement, “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.”
Modern audiences got to view Smith in the hit 2010 show Downton Abbey, where she portrayed Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham. Hugh Bonneville, who co-starred with Smith pays tribute to his castmate, “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.”
Fans of the Harry Potter series would get to see Smith portray Professor Minerva McGonagall through multiple films in the series and she would also lend her talents to comedies such as the Sister Act series, co-starring Whoopi Goldberg, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films.
Dame Maggie Smith was a legend of British theatre and crossed over into movies and television shows of many genres and notoriety. Smith would win two Academy Awards during her prestigious career. She would win for 1970’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and also for California Suite in 1979. The esteemed actress would also be nominated four other times and would also take home the prize at the BAFTA Awards eight times.
Smith started as an actress of the stage, but in 1958, she would secure her first BAFTA win for her role in the film Nowhere to Go. In 1963, she co-starred opposite Sir Lawrence Olivier as Desdemona in the stage production of Othello for the National Theatre. In 1965, that production was adapted into a film with the original cast and Smith would be nominated for an Oscar for her performance.