‘ONE OF THE GREATS’ Maggie Smith dead: Harry Potter & Downton Abbey star dies aged 89 after incredible 70-year career on stage and screen
HARRY Potter and Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith has died aged 89 after an incredible 70-year career on stage and screen.
The beloved actress played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the blockbuster film franchise.
Maggie was also well-known for bringing her scathing wit to other roles, including as Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey.
Her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said she died in hospital early this morning.
In a statement issued via their publicist, they 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 September 27.
“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.”
The statement adds: “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.”
Actress Dame Maggie Smith, known for the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey, dies aged 89
Stars of the TV and film world have also today paid tribute to the acting icon.
Former co-star Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in Harry Potter, changed his Instagram profile picture to an image of himself being kissed on the cheek by Dame Maggie.
Hugh Bonneville, who played the son of Dame Maggie’s character in Downton Abbey, 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.”
US actress Whoopi Goldberg said she felt “lucky” to have worked alongside her.
The actors starred together in Sister Act, where Dame Maggie played Reverend Mother Superior while Goldberg portrayed Deloris Van Cartier.
Whoopi shared an old picture of the two on set, dressed as nuns, on Instagram and described her as a “great woman”.
She wrote: “Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress. I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind’. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family… RIP.”
TV presenter Gyles Brandreth, meanwhile, described her as “wise, witty, waspish, wonderful”.
Sharing a photo of them together, he wrote: “The saddest news: the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era & a quite extraordinary life.
“She was a truly great actress, ‘one of the greats’ & simply the best company: wise, witty, waspish, wonderful.
“One of a kind in every way and consequently irreplaceable.”
Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens wrote “Truly one of The Greats. RIP” alongside two pictures of his former co-star on Instagram.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted on X: “Dame Maggie Smith introduced us to new worlds with the countless stories she acted over her long career.
“She was beloved by so many for her great talent, becoming a true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come.
“Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. May she rest in peace.”
Hollywood actor Rob Lowe added: “Saddened to hear Dame Maggie Smith has passed. I had the unforgettable experience of working with her; sharing a two-shot was like being paired with a lion.
“She could eat anyone alive, and often did. But funny, and great company.
“And suffered no fools. We will never see another. God speed, Ms. Smith!”
BAFTA, five of whom’s awards she won, wrote: “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.
“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.”
She was born Margaret Natalie Smith in December 1934 in Ilford, east London, to a Scottish secretary mum and pathologist dad.
The star moved to Oxford when she was four after her father got a job at the university and later left school to study acting at the Oxford Playhouse.
Aged just 17, Maggie got her first role as Viola in Twelfth Night before appearing in Cinderella, Rookery Nook and The Government Inspector.
In 1957, she landed a role opposite Kenneth Williams in the musical comedy Share My Lettuce.
This led to regular appearances in a string of plays at the Old Vic theatre, including The Rehearsal and Mary, Mary.
While starring in The Double Dealer, Maggie caught the eye of Laurence Olivier who invited her to become part of his National Theatre Company.
Maggie went on to appear opposite the actor in Othello, with the pair famed for their professional rivalry.
In 1958, the actress made her screen debut in Nowhere to Go but it wasn’t until her Oscar-winning performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie 11 years later that she gained international fame.
Maggie continued to appear on stage in a number of plays – winning a Tony Award for her role in Broadway comedy Private Lives.
During this time, she won her second Academy Award for best supporting actress in California Suite alongside Michael Caine.
Maggie received further nominations for roles in A Room with a View and Gosford Park.
She appeared in a number of comedies, including Sister Act, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet.
In 2001, Maggie took the role as Hogwarts deputy headmistress Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter series of films.
She played the Transfiguration teacher in seven of the eight films until 2011.
Maggie won three Emmys for her portrayal of as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey.
The actress became a firm fan favourite for her acerbic put-downs during the five-year series and two subsequent films.
Away from the screen, Maggie married actor Robert Stephens in June 1967.
The couple shared two sons, actors Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, before they divorced eight years later,
Maggie later went on to wed playwright Beverley Cross in 1975 before his death in 1998.
She previously opened up about her health battles, including treatment for Graves’ disease in 1988.
In 2007, it emerged Maggie had been diagnosed with breast cancer but she went on to make a full recovery.
The actress was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1990 and was named a Companion of Honour (CH) in 2014.
Speaking about her glittering career previously, Maggie said: “Honest to God, I have no idea where the urge [to act] came from. It was such a ghastly time and we didn’t go to the theatre.
“I got into terrible trouble once because the neighbours took me to the cinema on a Sunday, but I had a wonderful teacher, Dorothy Bartholomew, who also taught Miriam Margolyes, and who encouraged me.”
