Daniel Radcliffe, Whoopi Goldberg, Julian Fellowes, and More Honor Late Icon Maggie Smith: A ‘Magnificent’ Star
Maggie Smith’s half-century-spanning career is being celebrated by her peers.
The iconic actress, best known for her roles in the “Harry Potter” films and “Downton Abbey” franchise, died on September 27. She was 89.
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“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” Smith’s sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said in a statement shared with IndieWire. “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. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Smith won two Academy Awards, her first for Best Actress in 1969’s “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” and her second for Best Supporting Actress in 1978’s “California Suite.” She went on to win four Emmys, starting in 2003 for the HBO film “My House in Umbria.” Smith’s role in TV series “Downton Abbey” garnered her two more; she reprised her character Violet for the feature film versions, as well.
Smith’s career also spans five BAFTAS and a Tony Award. The British stage and screen actress was also named Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1990.
Smith previously told the Evening Standard that she wanted to return to theatre later in her career.
“I wanted to get back to the stage so much because theatre is basically my favorite medium, and I think I felt as though I’d left it all unfinished,” she said in 2019. “But there wasn’t anything that came along.”
“Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe shared a statement in honor of Smith.
“The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old and we were reading through scenes for ‘David Copperfield,’ which was my first job,” Radcliffe said. “I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her. The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was, ‘Would you like me to call you Dame?’ at which she laughed and said something to the effect of ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease. She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the ‘Harry Potter’ films.”
Radcliffe continued, “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. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie.”
“Downton Abbey” creator and writer Julian Fellowes told Variety that Smith was “a truly great actress and we were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career.”
“She was a joy to write for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, funny and heart-breaking. Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career,” Fellowes said. “I will never forget her.”
Smith’s “Downton Abbey” co-star Hugh Bonneville told The Hollywood Reporter that “anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit, and formidable talent,” adding, “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.”
Michelle Dockery shared, “There was no one quite like Maggie. I feel tremendously lucky to have known such a maverick. She will be deeply missed and my thoughts are with her family.”
Rob Lowe, who worked with Smith on 1993 film “Suddenly, Last Summer,” wrote, “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!”
Producer Gareth Neame said in a press statement, “Maggie Smith was one of the greatest actors of our time and a much-loved member of the ‘Downton’ family. In Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Maggie created one of the finest screen performances we have seen across six seasons of the television series and two movies, spanning twelve years. The entire cast and crew of ‘Downton Abbey’ considered it an enormous honor to work with her, she was an actress of such stature whose incredible talent could encompass high comedy and full-blown tragedy. Offscreen she was particularly close to the cast who played the other members of her family and was very generous and full of encouragement for the younger actors. It is personally poignant that my late grandfather directed one of her finest performances in ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ for which she won her first Academy Award. Jean Brodie and Violet Grantham are but two creations in an extraordinary career spanning decades and delighting audiences across the globe. There is only one Maggie Smith and she will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with her family.”
Smith’s “Sister Act” co-star Whoopi Goldberg 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.”
Below are more tributes to Smith.
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