Maggie Smith, scene-stealing actor famed for Harry Potter and 'Downton Abbey,' dies at 89
apnews.com
Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, has died at 89.

LONDON (AP) — Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” in 1969 and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Friday. She was 89.

Smith’s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement that Smith died early Friday in a London hospital.

“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” they said in a statement issued through publicist Clair Dobbs.

  • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
    49·
    2 months ago

    McGonagall was always my favorite professor… She imbued the stern English teacher with a gentle heart. Maggie Smith played that role phenomenally, right there with Richard Harris as Dumbledore.

    • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      I can’t get over what a star-studded cast the Harry Potter films had… Smith, Harris, Rickman, Oldman, Thewlis, Coltrane… I could go on. The child actors were so fortunate to have that experience and to meet and learn from such legends.

  • norimee@lemmy.world
    43·
    2 months ago

    She was just so great in everything she did. She is one if these people that need an own Wikipedia article for her Awards because they are too many to list in the main entry.

    Did you know she played grown Wendy Darling to Robin Williams’ Peter Pan in Hook?

  • Tinks@lemmy.world
    20·
    2 months ago

    Dame Maggie Smith was a gem in everything she was in. Her performances elevated every piece of media she performed in. I would watch movies just because she was in them, and I never regretted that. Today is truly a sad day. Rest in peace. She gave the world countless masterful performances and now the curtain has closed.

  • Today@lemmy.world
    101·
    2 months ago

    Not really religious, but my first thought was, “i hope my mom gets to meet her on the other side.”

  • mercano@lemmy.world
    7·
    2 months ago

    I think the first thing I remember seeing her in was Sister Act, where she played the unnamed Reverend Mother of the convent.

  • kaitco@lemmy.world
    5·
    2 months ago

    This is such a loss!

    I’ve loved her work for practically my entire life! I think I’ll watch Clash of the Titans tonight.

  • SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    2 months ago

    I worked for a woman this morning who had photos of Maggie all over her hallway, and I mentioned it of course. Smith worked with my client in 1970’s in Stratford.

    She went on about what a kind and thoughtful person she was to her colleagues and everyone in general. Very genuine, I was glad to hear, even after winning an Oscar.