Maggie Smith, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey Star, Dead at 89
The wizarding world has lost an acting legend.
Maggie Smith—the award-winning actress known for her roles in the Harry Potter movies and the Downton Abbey franchise, among many other classics—passed away at 89, her family told the BBC on Sept. 27.
“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” the family shared in a statement. “She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. 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,” the statement continues.
A cause of death was not shared, but the family noted that Smith had been a patient at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in her final days.
Born Margaret Natalie Smith on Dec. 28, 1934, the star kicked off her decades-long acting career as a teen. While studying at Oxford Playhouse School, Smith appeared in numerous plays, including Twelfth Night and Cinderella. Her talents eventually took her to The Old Vic in London, where she caught the eye of actor-director Laurence Olivier and was invited to joined the Royal National Theatre company in 1963 as one of its inaugural members.
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