Dame Maggie Smith, a legendary British actress who starred in numerous plays, films and TV shows over eight decades, has died at the age of 89.
A statement from her sons quoted by the BBC said she passed away peacefully in hospital on Friday (27 Sept) morning.
Source: @IGN on X
Her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin announced her death with “great sadness”.
“She was with friends and family at the end,” they said.
Besides her sons, she also leaves behind five grandchildren “who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother”.
They thanked hospital staff for their care during her final days, and also the public for their kind messages and support.
The family also requested that their privacy be respected at this time.
Born in 1934, Smith started acting in plays as young as 17 while living in Oxford in the 1950s.
She was soon acting in movies, gaining a British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) nomination for 1958 film “Nowhere To Go”.
Source: @British Vogue on X
She was nominated for her first Oscar when she appeared in “Othello”, a 1965 film adaption of a National Theatre play that she also acted in two years before.
She gained another Oscar nomination and a BAFTA for 1985 film “A Room With a View”.
She ended up winning the Oscar twice — for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” in 1970 and “California Suite” in 1979 — though she was nominated a total of six times. She also won eight BAFTAs.
But younger viewers will probably remember her as the Reverend Mother in “Sister Act” (1992) and “Sister Act 2” (1993).
Source: @paulkleinyoo on X
Even younger viewers will know her best as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film franchise, famous for her witty barbs.
But fans of period drama series “Downton Abbey” would’ve loved her as Dowager Countess of Grantham Violet Crawley, the no-nonsense matriarch who, once again, had the best one-liners in the show.
She played the role in all five seasons of the series, as well as its two movies, the most recent of which was released in 2022.
Source: @ProductionGuild on X
Among the many tributes that poured in was one by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said on Facebook that Smith was a “national treasure” and “beloved by so many”.
Source: Keir Starmer on Facebook
She “introduced us to new worlds with the countless stories she acted over her long career”, he added.
Daniel Radcliffe, her co-star who played the lead Harry Potter, said Smith’s death was “truly heartbreaking”. He also described her as “one of the most talented women to ever live” who will always be remembered.
Dan Stevens, who shared the screen with her on “Downton Abbey”, said via an Instagram Story that she was “truly one of the greats”.
Source: @thatdanstevens on Instagram
Whoopi Goldberg, who was lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier in “Sister Act”, said on Instagram that 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’,” she added.
Also read: Veteran actress Cheng Pei-Pei dies aged 78, known for role in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’
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Featured image adapted from @TheDailyHPotter on X and @ProductionGuild on X.
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