Dame Maggie Smith, the award-winning British acting legend whose work ranged from Downton Abbey to Harry Potter, has died at the age of 89.
The Oscar-winning actress died in hospital on Friday 27 September, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said in a statement.
‘It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,’ they began.
‘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 at this time.’
Dame Maggie was a hugely versatile actress, and had an incredible capacity to switch from melancholy to mischief, and from graciousness to exuberance in an instant, and her illustrious 50-year career – as well as her many accolades – is testament to this.
Many have taken to social media to pay tribute to the star, including her Downton Abbey co-star Hugh Bonneville.
Hugh, who played the son of Dame Maggie’s character in Downton Abbey, said in a statement: ‘Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent.
Up Next
‘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.’
Downton’s Dan Stevens also paid tribute to Dame Maggie Smith on his Instagram Story, writing ‘Truly one of The Greats. RIP’ alongside two pictures of his former co-star.
The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘Dame Maggie Smith 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.
‘Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. May she rest in peace.’
TV presenter Gyles Brandreth described Dame Maggie as ‘wise, witty, waspish, wonderful’.
Born in 1934 in east London, Dame Maggie and her family moved to Oxford where she began acting as a teenager.
Before long she was appearing in a number of stage shows including the 1957 musical comedy Share My Lettuce alongside Kenneth Williams, before moving to the screen for thriller Nowhere to Go in 1958 – for which she received a Bafta nomination.
On the news of her death, Bafta issued a tribute saying she was a ‘legend’ of stage and screen.
American actor Rob Lowe, who appeared with Dame Maggie Smith in 1993 BBC drama Suddenly, Last Summer, described his late co-star as a ‘lion’.
In a post on X, he 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!’
While starring in a number of plays at the Old Vic theatre – including The Rehearsal and Mary, Mary – Dame Maggie was spotted by Laurence Olivier, who invited her to become part of his National Theatre Company.
Dame Maggie’s stage career was prolific, but she garnered international fame for her role as fanatical teacher Jean Brodie in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, for which she won a best actress Oscar in 1970.
The star found Harry Potter later in life, when she appeared in all eight films as the stern but beloved Hogwarts teacher, Professor McGonagall.
In 2010 Dame Maggie was central to the success of ITV series Downton Abbey, in her Emmy-award winning role as the acerbic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, which she continued to play in the films.
Other film roles include her portrayal of a drunken Oscar loser in California Suite, the dying older lover in Love, Pain And The Whole Damn Thing, the tragic lodger in The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearne, and the so-called “funny old bat” in Gosford Park, which brought her a sixth Oscar nomination.
Another of Dame Maggie’s famous roles came in The Lady In The Van, the 2015 adaptation of Alan Bennett’s memoirs.
She recently starred in the 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era, where her character Violet’s health deteriorates and she dies in an emotional end.
Last year she appeared in The Miracle Club, which follows a group of women from Dublin who go on a pilgrimage to the French town of Lourdes.
Dame Maggie’s second husband, the playwright Beverley Cross who she married in 1975, died in 1998.
She is survived by her two sons Toby and Chris – both actors – who are from her first marriage to the late actor Robert Stephens.
As a beloved British star, Dame Maggie was often spotted enjoying Wimbledon tennis and in one of her final public outings she attended King Charles’ coronation last year.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
