Maggie Smith, Iconic “Harry Potter” and “Downton Abbey” Star and Two-Time Oscar Winner, Dies at 89

The actress starred in over 80 films and TV shows such as 'Downton Abbey' and the 'Harry Potter' franchise

Dame Maggie Smith, one of the world’s most distinguished actresses, has died. She was 89.

Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, confirmed the news on Friday, Sept. 27, saying in a statement via publicist Clair Dobbs, "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," they continued. "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," Stephens and Larkin added.

The brothers concluded, "We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time."

Related: Remembering Maggie Smith's Incredible Life and Career in Photos

Smith, who appeared in over 50 films, won two Academy Awards for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978). She also nabbed four Golden Globe Awards and had four additional Oscar nominations.

The actress was well-known for her portrayals of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series, as well as Violet Crawley in the Downton Abbey series.

Born in Ilford, England, in 1934, Smith made her stage debut in 1952, playing Viola in a stage production of Twelfth Night. Her career spanned over 70 years, and included starring roles in television, film and theater.

Smith’s first film credit was in an uncredited appearance in 1956’s Child in the House, which she followed with a larger role in the crime drama Nowhere to Go in 1959.

A decade later, Smith won her first Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal as an idealistic and unorthodox school teacher in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Her second Academy Award came almost a decade later, for California Suite.

In 1990, the actress won a Tony Award for Lettice and Lovage. That same year, she was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II, for her contributions to the performing arts.

Related: Remembering the Harry Potter Actors We've Lost Through the Years

In that period of time, Smith starred in several high-profile films including Sister Act (1992), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Hook (1991) and Tea with Mussolini (1999).

Smith introduced herself to a new generation of moviegoers in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as Professor Minerva McGonagall: no-nonsense transfiguration teacher, head of Gryffindor house and, later, Hogwarts headmistress. The 2001 blockbuster movie spawned seven more films, with Smith reprising her beloved role in each one.

She continued acting and showing off her range in the popular BBC series Downton Abbey playing the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, for which she won three Emmy Awards.

Speaking about her reputation, Smith once said, "It’s true I don’t tolerate fools, but then they don’t tolerate me, so I am spiky," according to the Associated Press.

'“Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies," she quipped in addition.

Smith also spoke about the added mainstream fame she gained from her Downton Abbey role to The Telegraph in a 2014 interview, saying, “That’s never happened to me before,” when she explained fans had taken to recognizing her on the street.

“It’s television that does it. It was awful. I love wandering around on my own and I just couldn’t,” she said. “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.”

When asked about her legacy after being awarded the Evening Standard Icon Award for her work in theatre, Smith told the publication, “Everything’s an icon. If you have been around long enough you are an icon. A rather dusty icon, or a national treasure.”

The actress continued working in films such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Lady in the Van. Her final role in a film released before her death was as Lily Fox in 2023's The Miracle Club.

Related: 'Downton Abbey' Cast Say Maggie Smith Used Her Cane to Stop Crew Member from Getting Too Close

Smith had two sons, Stephens and Larkin, whom she shared with her ex-husband, actor Robert Stephens. The two married in 1967 and divorced in 1975.

She married playwright Beverley Cross in 1975 and they remained married until his death in March 1998. When asked if she was lonely in a rare interview on 60 Minutes in 2013, Smith replied, “It seems a bit pointless, going on one’s own and not having someone to share it with.”

The star told The Telegraph she used work to keep her mind occupied.

“They say it goes away but it doesn’t,” she said of grieving over the loss of Cross. “It just gets different. It’s awful, but what do you do? After the busyness, you are more alone, much more. A day that is absolutely crowded keeps your mind away from why you are alone but when it stops there is that deafening silence.”

Smith is survived by her sons and five grandchildren.

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