'Harry Potter' and 'Downton Abbey' Star Dame Maggie Smith Dies at 89—Her Legacy Lives On

Actress Dame Maggie Smith passed away on Friday, September 27 at age 89 in a hospital in downtown London. She is best known for her work as Professor Minerva McGonagall in all eight Harry Potter films and for her portrayal of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey.

"It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning,” the actress's two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, wrote in a joint statement. "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."

The statement did not specify what Smith's cause of death was or why the actress was in the hospital to begin with.

Costars of Smiths also paid tribute to the late actress, with Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville writing, "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.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also honored Smith, writing in a statement that “[she] 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.”

The long lasting career of Maggie Smith

The actress was born on December 28, 1934, and began acting on screen at age 21 after a rather successful run at the Oxford Playhouse.

Over the course of her life, Smith starred in 85 various TV shows and movies with her most well-known titles being Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, in which she portrayed a stern older woman who values respect, class and honor.

“[People] always seem to think I'm scary,” Smith confessed in 2013. “ I understand that totally: old people are scary. I am old and I am scary,and I'm very sorry about it, but I don't know what to do.”

In another interview, Smith even went on record saying, "It’s true I don’t tolerate fools, but then they don’t tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.”

Before her death, Smith has been awarded two Oscars, a Tony Award, and four Primetime Emmys, but despite her success, the actress preferred to stay out of the spotlight, saying in 2014, ““I don’t go places, and if I do, I nearly always have to have a friend. It’s very difficult when you’re on your own because you have no escape.”

The personal life of Maggie Smith

Smith was married twice in her life. First, she was married to Robert Stephans from 1967 to 1975, and the two had two children together, Toby and Chris.

“I remember my parents being really on me about speaking in a certain way when I was young,” Tony Stephans recalled in 2014. “I think because they came from a class that aspired to talk like that.”

Following her divorce to Robert Stephans Smith married Beverley Cross in late 1975 and remained with him until his death in 1998. It was the last public relationship Smith was in.

“It seems a bit pointless, going on one’s own and not having someone to share it with,” she said in 2013.

May Maggie Smith rest in peace.

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