Maggie Smith, Oscar-Winning Star of Harry Potter and Downtown Abbey, Dies at 89

Maggie Smith, the legendary award-winning actress best known for playing Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter , has died at 89.

The news was confirmed by her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, in a statement that said: “She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday, Sept. 27.”

“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves behind 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 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.”

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“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

Smith has had a long and storied career, appearing in over 50 films, winning an Academy Award for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978), as well as four Golden Globe Awards. She also had four additional Oscar nominations.

In more recent years, Smith would become known for her beloved performance as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise, followed by playing the iconic Violet Crawley in Downtown Abbey .

Smith was born in 1934 in Ilford England, making her acting debut on the stage in 1952 by playing Viola in a production of Twelfth Night . Her first credited film role was in the crime drama Nowhere to Go in 1959, although she appeared in 1956’s Child in the House in an uncredited role.

Throughout her career, Smith continued to star in production for film, television, and the stage.

Some of her other performances include the Oscar-nominated Graham Greene in Travels with My Aunt , and starring alongside Joan Plowright and Cher in Tea With Mussolini .

Consistently, Smith proved herself to be one of the most extraordinary talents in the history of acting, and her luminary performances will undoubtedly continue to inspire people of all stripes for decades to come.