Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
WhatToWatch
WhatToWatch
Entertainment
Claire Crick

Actress Dame Maggie Smith dies at 89

Dame Maggie Smith attends the 65th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London Coliseum on November 24, 2019 in London, England.

Legendary actress Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89. 

A statement from her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said: "It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.

"She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday, September 27. 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.

"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."

Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter. (Image credit: Warner Bros)

Dame Maggie won a Best Actress Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 and Best Supporting Actress for California Suite in 1978.

More recently she won a new generation of fans as sharp-tongued but loveable matriarch Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey between 2010 and 2015 and playing the beloved character Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies.

Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. (Image credit: ITV)

Born in Ilford, Essex, on December 28, 1934, Dame Maggie Smith found global fame as an actress in a hugely successful career that began back in 1952 as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse. In recognition of her amazing career, Maggie was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990. 

Friends and fans of the star have begun offering their condolences, including British broadcaster Gyles Brandreth who paid tribute to “truly great actress”...

Writing on Twitter/X, he said: ”The saddest news: the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era and a quite extraordinary life.

“She was a truly great actress, one of the greats and simply the best company: wise, witty, waspish, wonderful. One of a kind in every way and consequently irreplaceable.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.