Maggie Smith, the iconic British actress whose distinguished career spanned over six decades across stage, film, and television, has passed away at the age of 89.
Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, confirmed her death through a statement to the Press Association.
Smith, one of Britain’s most beloved and respected actresses, appeared in over 50 films. She was particularly cherished by modern audiences for her roles as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series and as the sharp-tongued Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey.
Throughout her illustrious career, Smith garnered numerous prestigious accolades, including two Academy Awards, five BAFTAs, four Emmys, three Golden Globes, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award. In 1990, she was honored as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Born in Ilford, Essex, Smith moved to Oxford at the age of 4, where her father worked as a public health pathologist at Oxford University. She attended Oxford High School before leaving at 16 to pursue acting at the Oxford Playhouse.
Smith made her stage debut in 1952 with the Oxford University Drama Society. By the mid-1960s, she was sharing the stage with Laurence Olivier and earning her first Oscar nomination for her role in 1965’s Othello.
In 1969, she won her first Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and a second followed in 1979 for California Suite.
Over the years, Smith appeared in a variety of well-known films, including A Room with a View (1985) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) alongside Whoopi Goldberg. However, it was her later work, particularly in the Harry Potter series from 2001 to 2011, that elevated her to global stardom.
Her role as the witty and formidable Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey cemented her legacy, earning her multiple awards, including three Emmys and a Golden Globe.
