‘Downton Abbey’ Creator Julian Fellowes Pays Tribute To Maggie Smith: “I Will Never Forget Her”

As the world mourns the loss of Downton Abbey star Dame Maggie Smith, series creator and writer Julian Fellowes has taken a moment to pay tribute.

In a statement to Variety, he described the late dame as “a truly great actress,” adding that they “were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career.”

“She was a joy to write for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, funny and heart-breaking,” Fellowes continued. “Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career, and I will never forget her.”

Smith “passed away peacefully” at age 89 on Friday morning, per a statement from her family shared with the BBC. She not only starred in the series, but also in the films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022).

Per The Independent, her Downton Abbey: A New Era co-star Dominic West had recalled an “incredibly emotional” discussion with Smith during a 2022 press conference. She told him that she was “going to throw in the towel” when it came to her acting career.

“She said: ‘That’s it. I’m not going to do any more.’ And I said: ‘What? Acting?’ and she said: ‘Yeah, no more acting,’” he remembered. “I said: ‘Theatre as well?’ and she said: ‘No, I’m not doing theatre either, and this will be my last job.’ And that was incredibly emotional.”

However, she had turned the tables on him the next week.

“And then I went back the following week, and I said: ‘It’s so sad, Maggie.’ And she said: ‘Nonsense!’” he explained, noting that she has booked another film.

Others who have paid tribute to Smith include her Sister Act co-star Whoopi Goldberg, who praised her as “a great woman and a brilliant actress” on Instagram, per Entertainment Weekly.

“I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind,’” she added. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the family…RIP.”

King Charles III also shared his condolences via the Royal Family’s X page,