Maggie Smith: “Harry Potter” star has died

Dame Maggie Smith is dead. The British actress known from the “Harry Potter” films and the hit series “Downton Abbey” has died at the age of 89. Her family has that. “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” the British broadcaster quotes from the statement of her sons Toby Stephens (55) and Chris Larkin (57).

Children and grandchildren are “shocked”

Smith died peacefully in hospital on Friday morning (September 27th). “She was a very private person and was surrounded by her friends and family at the end,” it continued. “She leaves behind two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”

Maggie Smith was married to the actor Robert Stephens (1931-1995) from 1967 to 1975, and they had two sons from the marriage, who are also actors. From 1975 until his death in 1998, she was married to the screenwriter Beverley Cross (1931-1998). The actress was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.

Two Oscars and many other awards

Maggie Smith began her acting career in the theater and continued to appear on stage until 2019. Smith’s film career began in 1956 with a small role in the film “Child In The House”, and two years later she received a nomination for the British Film Academy Award for Most Promising Young Actress for her role in “Hunted”. In total, Smith appeared in around 70 film and television productions in her acting career and won two Oscars, five BAFTAs, four Emmys and three Golden Globes.

In 1990, the actress was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) and has held the title “Dame” ever since.

Maggie Smith will be best known to a younger generation for her role as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” film adaptations (2001-2011). She starred as Violet Crawley in the award-winning series “Downton Abbey” (2010-2015).