Maggie Smith, legendary ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Downtown Abbey’ star, dies at 89

Dame Maggie Smith, best-known for her roles successful nan Harry Potter franchise and Downton Abbey, has died. She was 89 years old.

The prolific star’s family issued a connection astir Smith’s decease done her publicist. Smith died connected Friday greeting successful hospital, though a origin of decease has not yet been announced.

“It is pinch awesome sadness we person to denote nan decease of Dame Maggie Smith,” her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said successful a statement.

“An intensely backstage person, she was pinch friends and family astatine nan end. She leaves 2 sons and 5 loving grandchildren who are devastated by nan nonaccomplishment of their bonzer mother and grandmother.”

“We would for illustration to return this opportunity to convey nan awesome unit astatine nan Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their attraction and unstinting kindness during her last days,” nan connection continued. “We convey you for each your benignant messages and support and inquire that you respect our privateness astatine this time.”

Smith was 1 of nan astir recognizable British actors successful movie and television. Her illustrious profession spanned complete 7 decades, though she earned world admiration peculiarly for roles arsenic Professor Minerva McGonagall successful nan Harry Potter bid and arsenic Violet Crawley successful Downtown Abbey.

She won 2 Oscars during her lifetime, for 1970 movie The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and later for California Suite successful 1979.

Smith besides received Academy Award nominations arsenic a supporting character successful Othello, Travels pinch My Aunt, Room pinch a View and Gosford Park.

Her profession began connected nan shape successful nan 1950s, wherever she first earned a estimation arsenic a talented, and often scene-stealing, actor.

By her 80s, Smith connected juncture joked it was much difficult to find acting work, particularly erstwhile competing for roles alongside nan likes of Dame Judi Dench.

Smith erstwhile drily summarized her later roles arsenic “a assemblage of grotesques,” including Professor McGonagall. When she was asked why she took nan role, she quipped: “Harry Potter is my pension.”

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Smith had a estimation for being difficult, and sometimes upstaging others.

Actor Richard Burton remarked that Smith didn’t conscionable return complete a segment in The VIPs pinch him, but said, “She commits expansive larceny.”

However, head Peter Hall recovered Smith wasn’t “remotely difficult unless she’s among idiots. She’s very difficult connected herself, and I don’t deliberation she sees immoderate logic why she shouldn’t beryllium difficult connected different people, too.”

Smith conceded that she could beryllium impatient astatine times.

“It’s existent I don’t tolerate fools, but past they don’t tolerate me, truthful I americium spiky,” she said. “Maybe that’s why I’m rather bully astatine playing spiky aged ladies.”

Margaret Natalie Smith was calved successful Ilford, connected nan eastbound separator of London, connected Dec. 28, 1934. She summed up her life briefly: “One went to school, 1 wanted to act, 1 started to act, one’s still acting.”

She took Maggie arsenic her shape sanction because different Margaret Smith was progressive successful nan theatre.

Smith was made a Dame Commander of nan British Empire, nan balanced of a knight, successful 1990.

Despite her extravagance connected shape and earlier nan cameras, Smith was known to beryllium intensely private. She joined chap character Robert Stephens successful 1967. They had 2 sons and divided successful 1975. The aforesaid twelvemonth she joined nan writer Beverley Cross, who died successful 1998.

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— with files from The Associated Press