Dame Maggie Smith, known for her roles on âDownton Abbeyâ and the âHarry Potterâ series, has died.
She was 89.
Smithâs sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said released a statement announcing that Smith died early Friday in a London hospital, per the Associated Press.
âShe leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,â they said through publicist Clair Dobbs.
Smith spent decades on the big screen as well as television is a variety of memorable roles.
She won an Academy Award and the British Academy Film Award for the 1969 film âThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.â
Smith continued acting for years and gained renewed attention as the dowager Countess of Grantham in âDownton Abbeyâ and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.
Regarding her later roles, Smith quipped, âWhen you get into the granny era, youâre lucky to get anything.â
When asked why she took the role of Professor McGonagall, she replied, âHarry Potter is my pension.â
Director Richard Eyre said Smith was âintellectually the smartest actress Iâve ever worked with. You have to get up very, very early in the morning to outwit Maggie Smith.â
In addition to her Oscar and BAFTA for âThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,â she won a litany of awards, including a supporting actress Oscar for âCalifornia Suiteâ in 1978, Golden Globes for âCalifornia Suiteâ and âRoom with a View,â and BAFTAs for lead actress in âA Private Functionâ in 1984, âA Room with a Viewâ in 1986, and âThe Lonely Passion of Judith Hearneâ in 1988.
She won a Tony in 1990 for âLettice and Lovage.â
Her garnered three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for her role in âDownton Abbey,â a part that started in 2010.
Despite her accolades, Smith was reputed to be hard to work with and was a scene stealer.
According to Richard Burton, Smith didnât just take over a scene, âShe commits grand larceny.â
But director Peter Hall didnât view Smith as difficult.
He said Smith wasnât âremotely difficult unless sheâs among idiots. Sheâs very hard on herself, and I donât think she sees any reason why she shouldnât be hard on other people, too.â
And the actress acknowledged she could be difficult.
âItâs true I donât tolerate fools, but then they donât tolerate me, so I am spiky,â Smith said. âMaybe thatâs why Iâm quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.â
Many posted on X, formerly Twitter, about Smithâs passing.
