British actress Dame Maggie Smith, renowned for her iconic roles as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise and the inimitable Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey, has passed away at 89, her family announced today.
The legend of British stage and screen, who played the acerbic Professor Minerva McGonagall, famous for her pointed witch’s hat and stern manner with the young wizards at Hogwarts, passed away after an illness.
A statement from her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said, “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. 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 now.”
Work and Legacy
Smith starred as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films and appeared in classics like Death on the Nile(1978), Merchant Ivory film A Room With a View (1995), Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), and The Lady in the Van (2015).
In later years, she gained renewed fame for her role as Violet Crawley in the hit show Downton Abbey, which earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards. Her final roles included The Miracle Club (2023), which follows a group of women from Dublin who pilgrimage to the French town of Lourdes, co-starring Kathy Bates and Laura Linney.
Smith earned several prestigious awards and nominations for her work in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), California Suite(1978), Othello (1965), Travels with My Aunt(1972), A Room with a View (1985), and Gosford Park (2001). The actor took home two Academy Awards, five BAFTAs, four Emmys, three Golden Globes, and a Tony for her efforts. She is among the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.
She also received honorary accolades, including fellowships from the British Film Institute and BAFTA and a special Society of London Theater award. In 1990, she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II.
