‘Downton Abbey’ Creator Julian Fellowes Pays Tribute To Maggie Smith: “I Will Never Forget Her”

As the world mourns the loss of Downton Abbey star Dame Maggie Smith , series creator and writer Julian Fellowes has taken a moment to pay tribute.

In a statement to Variety , he described the late dame as “a truly great actress,” adding that they “were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career.”

R.I.P. Maggie Smith: ‘Harry Potter’ And ‘Downton Abbey’ Star Dead At 89

“She was a joy to write for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, funny and heart-breaking,” Fellowes continued. “Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career, and I will never forget her.”

Smith “ passed away peacefully ” at age 89 on Friday morning, per a statement from her family shared with the BBC . She not only starred in the series, but also in the films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022).

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Per The Independent , her Downton Abbey: A New Era co-star Dominic West had recalled an “incredibly emotional” discussion with Smith during a 2022 press conference. She told him that she was “going to throw in the towel” when it came to her acting career.

“She said: ‘That’s it. I’m not going to do any more.’ And I said: ‘What? Acting?’ and she said: ‘Yeah, no more acting,'” he remembered. “I said: ‘Theatre as well?’ and she said: ‘No, I’m not doing theatre either, and this will be my last job.’ And that was incredibly emotional.”

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However, she had turned the tables on him the next week.

“And then I went back the following week, and I said: ‘It’s so sad, Maggie.’ And she said: ‘Nonsense!’” he explained, noting that she has booked another film.

Others who have paid tribute to Smith include her Sister Act co-star Whoopi Goldberg , who praised her as “a great woman and a brilliant actress” on Instagram , per Entertainment Weekly .

“I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind,'” she added. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the family…RIP.”

King Charles III also shared his condolences via the Royal Family’s X page ,

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