Dame Maggie Smith, who blazed trails in British acting and is well known for roles in “Harry Potter” and “Downtown Abbey,” died early Friday morning at a hospital in London. She was 89 years old.
Named a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990, Smith’s two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephen, provided a statement to USA Today in which they said their mother died “peacefully,” but cause of death is unknown.
“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” Larkin and Stephen said in the statement. They thanked the staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for caring for their mother and thanked fans for “kind” messages and support. They requested privacy for the family.
Born in Essex, England in 1934, Smith made her acting debut in 1952 at the Oxford Playhouse. Along with Judi Dench, Smith is one of Britain‘s most celebrated actors.
She earned an Academy Award for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” in 1969 and another in 1978 for “California Suite.” She was nominated 12 times for Golden Globes and received three, as well as nine Emmy nominations, of which she took home four awards.
With her appearance in the “Harry Potter” films as “Professor Minerva McGonagall,” Smith reached a new generation of fans.
She also appeared in the PBS miniseries “Downton Abbey” for six seasons from 2010 to 2015. In the final minutes of the series’ second film, “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” her character died.
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Rebecca Barnabi
