British acting legend Dame Maggie Smith, known for her roles in Harry Potter and Downtown Abbey, passed away on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at the age of 89.
This has been confirmed by his sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin in a statement released by publicist Clair Dobbs, according to reports.
“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,” the statement read.
“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,” it added.
Smith played the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the film series Harry Potter and Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in British period drama Downtown Abbey.
With over seven decades in the industry and appearing in more than 50 films, Smith was a recipient of numerous acting awards, including two from Oscars for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1970 and California Suite in 1979.
Harry Potter stars pay tribute
Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, paid tribute in an Instagram story, sharing how thankful she is to have worked with the legend whom she described as “real, honest, funny and self-honouring.”
“When I was younger, I had no idea of Maggie’s legend — the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with. It is only as I’ve become an adult that I’ve come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness,” she said.
“Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God you held your own. Thank you for all of your kindness. I’ll miss you,” Watson added.
Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter himself in the seven installments of the film, also remembered Smith, saying he was lucky to work with her for 10 years.
“She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny. I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set,” he said in a statement.
