MIAMI, United States. – The prominent British actress Maggie Smith, known for her emblematic roles in the sagas of harry potter and Downton Abbeydied this Friday, September 27 at the age of 89, according to a statement from his sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin quoted by BBC.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. “She passed away peacefully in the hospital this morning, surrounded by friends and family,” the information indicates.
Maggie Smith, born Margaret Natalie Smith in Essex in 1934, was one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation. Over more than six decades, he consolidated an impressive career in film, theater and television, with more than 60 films and series to his credit.
In the statement, her children noted that, despite her immense fame, Maggie was “an intensely private person.” They also added that, in her last moments, she was accompanied by her loved ones. “He left behind two children and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” they detailed.
Smith began his career in theater in the 1950s, performing at the Oxford Playhouse, and his big screen debut was in 1956 in Child in the House. However, it would be in the 60s and 70s when his talent would stand out forcefully. In 1969, she won her first Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Miss Brodie’s best years. In 1979, she would triumph again at the Hollywood Academy, this time as Best Supporting Actress, thanks to her role in California Suite.
In addition to his two OscarMaggie Smith was the winner of a Tony, five Bafta Awards, three Golden Globes and four Emmys. Her versatility allowed her to play everything from dramatic roles to characters full of acid humor, such as the famous Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey.
“My career has been somewhat varied,” Smith once commented in an interview with Guardianand added: “I think I was pigeonholed into comedy… but comedy is never considered real.” However, his ability to mix the comic with the tragic is what gave him a special place in the history of film and television.
One of the roles that most marked her career in her final years was that of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the films harry potterwhich made her an icon for younger generations. Smith played this beloved character in all eight films of the saga, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011). However, she never left the theater aside, with memorable performances as Virginia Woolf in A Room of One’s Own and his collaboration with playwright Alan Bennett, with whom he worked on Talking Heads and The Lady in the Van.
In addition to her extensive professional career, Maggie Smith was also recognized by the British monarchy. In 1990, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and in 2014, she was awarded the Order of the Companions of Honor for Queen Elizabeth IIone of the highest decorations in the United Kingdom.
Numerous sources have indicated this Friday that Smith’s death marks the end of an era in the world of entertainment.
