Maggie Smith, IconicHarry PotterandDownton AbbeyStar and Two-Time Oscar Winner, Dies at 89

Mar. 15, 2025

Dame Maggie Smith, one of the world’s most distinguished actresses, has died. She was 89.

“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,” Stephens and Larkin added.

The brothers concluded, “We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

Maggie Smith inThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie(1969).Getty

Getty

Smith, who appeared in over 50 films, won twoAcademy AwardsforThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie(1969) andCalifornia Suite(1978). She also nabbed fourGolden Globe Awardsand had four additional Oscar nominations.

The actress was well-known for her portrayals of Professor Minerva McGonagall in theHarry Potterfilm series, as well as Violet Crawley in theDownton Abbeyseries.

Born in Ilford, England, in 1934, Smith made her stage debut in 1952, playing Viola in a stage production ofTwelfth Night.Her career spanned over 70 years, and included starring roles in television, film and theater.

Maggie Smith inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2(2011).Warner Bros. Pictures

Smith’s first film credit was in an uncredited appearance in 1956’sChild in the House, which she followed with a larger role in the crime dramaNowhere to Goin 1959.

A decade later, Smith won her first Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal as an idealistic and unorthodox school teacher inThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.Her second Academy Award came almost a decade later, forCalifornia Suite.

Maggie Smith with her Oscar on April 9, 1979.Getty

In that period of time, Smith starred in several high-profile films includingSister Act(1992),Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit(1993),Hook(1991) andTea with Mussolini(1999).

Smith introduced herself to a new generation of moviegoers inHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stoneas Professor Minerva McGonagall: no-nonsense transfiguration teacher, head of Gryffindor house and, later, Hogwarts headmistress. The 2001 blockbuster movie spawned seven more films, with Smith reprising her beloved role in each one.

She continued acting and showing off her range in the popular BBC seriesDownton Abbeyplaying the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, for which she won threeEmmy Awards.

Speaking about her reputation, Smith once said, “It’s true I don’t tolerate fools, but then they don’t tolerate me, so I am spiky,” according to theAssociated Press.

‘“Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies," she quipped in addition.

Maggie Smith inDownton Abbeyseason 2 (2011).Nick Briggs / Carnival Films for Masterpiece/PBS / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Smith also spoke about the added mainstream fame she gained from herDownton Abbeyrole toThe Telegraphin a 2014 interview, saying, “That’s never happened to me before,” when she explained fans had taken to recognizing her on the street.

“It’s television that does it. It was awful. I love wandering around on my own and I just couldn’t,” she said. “I don’t go places, and if I do I nearly always have to have a friend. It’s very difficult when you’re on your own because you have no escape.”

When asked about her legacy after being awarded the Evening Standard Icon Award for her work in theatre, Smith told the publication, “Everything’s an icon. If you have been around long enough you are an icon. A rather dusty icon, or a national treasure.”

The actress continued working in films such asThe Best Exotic Marigold HotelandThe Lady in the Van.Her final role in a film released before her death was as Lily Fox in 2023’sThe Miracle Club.

Smith had two sons, Stephens and Larkin, whom she shared with her ex-husband, actor Robert Stephens. The two married in 1967 and divorced in 1975.

She married playwright Beverley Cross in 1975 and they remained married until his death in March 1998. When askedif she was lonely in a rare interviewon60 Minutesin 2013, Smith replied, “It seems a bit pointless, going on one’s own and not having someone to share it with.”

The star toldThe Telegraphshe used work to keep her mind occupied.

“They say it goes away but it doesn’t,” she said of grieving over the loss of Cross. “It just gets different. It’s awful, but what do you do? After the busyness, you are more alone, much more. A day that is absolutely crowded keeps your mind away from why you are alone but when it stops there is that deafening silence.”

source: people.com