Maggie Smith, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey Star, Dead at 89
The wizarding world has lost an acting legend.
Maggie Smith—the award-winning actress known for her roles in the Harry Potter movies and the Downton Abbey franchise, among many other classics—passed away at 89, her family told the BBC on Sept. 27.
"It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith," the family shared in a statement. "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," the statement continues.
A cause of death was not shared, but the family noted that Smith had been a patient at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in her final days.
Born Margaret Natalie Smith on Dec. 28, 1934, the star kicked off her decades-long acting career as a teen. While studying at Oxford Playhouse School, Smith appeared in numerous plays, including Twelfth Night and Cinderella. Her talents eventually took her to The Old Vic in London, where she caught the eye of actor-director Laurence Olivier and was invited to joined the Royal National Theatre company in 1963 as one of its inaugural members.
As a stage actor, Smith, who was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for her contributions to the arts, held roles in productions of Macbeth, Anthony and Cleopatra, Richard III, Othello and Hedda Gabler. Her impressive theatrical accolades included a record-breaking six Evening Standard Theatre Awards—the oldest theatrical honor in the United Kingdom—and a Tony Award for 1990's Lettice and Lovage.
Outside of theater (a medium Smith told the Evening Standard was her "favorite"), the actress appeared in countless of beloved films, including Hook, Sister Act, Gosford Park, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. She received a Best Actress Oscar in 1969 for her titular role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for 1978's California Suite.
Most notably, Smith starred in all eight Harry Potter movies as Professor Minerva McGonagall, a role she continued to play even while undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer in 2007.
"I was hairless," she told The Times in 2009 of working throughout her cancer treatments. "I had no problem getting the wig on. I was like a boiled egg."
Though Smith recalled being "horribly sick" during the filming of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, she said the experience showed her the meaning of resilience. "S--t happens," she bluntly quipped to the publication. "I ought to pull myself together a bit."
As for her TV career, Smith famously captured hearts as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, on Downton Abbey. After winning three Emmys throughout the series' six-season run, she reprised the role in the 2019 and 2022 film adaptations.
In addition to starring on the historical drama, Smith also made appearances on beloved TV movies such as My House in Umbria and Capturing Mary, as well as the BBC miniseries David Copperfield—which co-starred her Harry Potter castmate Daniel Radcliffe.
And though Smith's resumé boasted a plethora of prestigious honors, she kept out of the public spotlight and enjoyed a quiet private life. She was married to Robert Stephens—with whom she shares sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, both now working as actors—from 1967 to 1975 and playwright Beverley Cross from 1975 until his death in 1998.
When asked about if she had any interest in her celebrity status, Smith told CBS News in 2013, "Absolutely none. I mean, why would I?"
"I don't feel any different to the way I felt before and I'm not quite sure what it means," she continued, though noting that people do recognize her more on the street since Downton Abbey. "I am familiar to people now, which is what I was not before. That is entirely due to the television set."
Often praised by friends and colleagues for her quick wit, Smith was also known for her humility despite her lengthy career. As she explained to The Telegraph in 2014, "Everything's an icon. If you have been around long enough you are an icon. A rather dusty icon…or a national treasure."
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