- Maggie Smtih died on September 27 at the age of 89.
- She passed away at a London hospital surrounded by loved ones.
- Smith is known for an extensive stage and screen career and has starred in popular titles such as ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Harry Potter.’
On September 27, actress Maggie Smith died. She was 89 when she passed away, with her death confirmed by her two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephen. According to Larkin and Stephen, Smith died early on Friday morning at a London hospital.
A legend of the stage and screen, Smith is remembered for several exemplary, starring performances. Her resume includes the likes of Sister Act, Downton Abbey, the Harry Potter films, The Secret Garden, and more. Smith boasted a highly decorated career and was honored with five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and a Tony Award.
Dame Maggie Smith has passed away
Stephens and Larkin announced Smith’s passing to U.K. media shared through publicist Clair Dobbs. “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end,” they shared. “She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
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They continued, “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.”
A legend of the stage and screen
Maggie Smith was born on December 28, 1934, in Ilford, Essex. She began her career in earnest at 17, playing Viola in Twelfth Night at the Oxford Playhouse, where she went to study acting. She continued to appear in Oxford Playhouse productions including Cinderella, The Government Inspector, Rookery Nook, and Cakes and Ale, among others.
In 1962, Smith won a Best Actress Evening Standard Award, which would be the first of a record-breaking six awarded to her. While with the Royal National Theatre, Smith reportedly developed a fierce rivalry with Laurence Olivier who, according to British theatre critic Michael Coveney, “knew immediately he’d met his match – that she was extraordinary,” adding, “Never before had anyone on stage been quicker than him and now, it seemed, there was a contest.”
Thanks to her performance in the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actress. This marked a renewed rise in fame and prominence for Smith at an unprecedented scale. 1978 saw her star as Miss Bowers in Death on the Nile, alongside the likes of Angela Lansbury, David Niven, Bette Davis, and Peter Ustinov.
Armed with an extensive and storied filmography, Smith enjoyed renewed popularity upon taking up the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall through all eight Harry Potter films, then again as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey.
Rest in peace, Maggie Smith.
