The prolific and multi-award-winning actor DameMaggie Smith, 89, passed away. Her credits include Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin confirmed the news in a statement. “She passed away peacefully in the hospital early this morning, Friday, September 27,” the statement read.
“An exceedingly modest individual, she passed away surrounded by loved ones. She leaves behind two sons and five devoted grandkids who are inconsolable over the passing of their remarkable grandma and mother. We appreciate all of your kind words and support, and ask that you respect our privacy at this time,” the family’s note read.
Early life and career
Smith was born in 1934, and raised in Oxford, and as a teenager, he started performing at the Playhouse Theater in the city. In addition to participating in several theatrical productions, such as Bamber Gascoigne’s 1957 musical comedy Share My Lettuce starring Kenneth Williams, Smith also made significant strides in the film industry. Her first notable role came in the 1958 Seth Holt thriller Nowhere to Go, for which she received a Bafta nomination for best supporting actress. Smith won the Best Actress Oscar in 1970 after landing the lead part in the 1969 version of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which was based on the Muriel Spark novel about an Edinburgh schoolteacher who harbours affection for Mussolini.
She also agreed to play the significant part of Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series, starring in all save the first instalment of the series from 2001 to 2011. In the meantime, she landed what is likely her most memorable TV part as the Countess of Grantham in Julian Fellowes’ Gosford Park. Fellowes will reprise the character in two stand-alone motion pictures, which will be released in 2019 and 2022.
For those who don’t know, Smith was married twice, once to Beverley Cross from 1975 till his passing in 1998, and again to fellow actor Robert Stephens from 1967 to 1975.
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