Dame Maggie Smith, widely known for her portrayal of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, has passed away at the age of 89.
Smith, a veteran of stage and screen, had a career that spanned over 60 years, two Oscars, four Emmys, and 8 BAFTA awards, and a Tony award. She won her first Oscar for her performance of the title role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and later a supporting award for her role in California Suite. She won those two awards, but was nominated four additional times for her roles in Othello, Travels with My Aunt, A Room with a View, and Gosford Park.
Fans will immediately recognize her for her significant role in the Harry Potter film franchise, where she portrayed Professor Minerva Mcgonagall, a legendary wizard who specialized in transfiguration (turning herself into a cat as needed) and served as the head of Gryffindor house. On the smaller screen, she will also be remembered for her acclaimed performance as Violet Crawley in the hit series, Downton Abbey, a role for which she won three primetime Emmy awards.
Disney fans will immediately think of her role as Mother Superior in the hit Touchstone pictures film, Sister Act, starring alongside Whoopi Goldberg. She later reprised this role in Sister Act 2, when she needed the help of Sister Mary Clarence (Goldberg) once again to help a school’s struggling choir, with their success saving the school from closure.
On the animated side of things, you might remember her turns as Lady Bluebury in Gnomeo & Juliet, and later, Sherlock Gnomes, also from Touchstone. She also had an acclaimed performance in Searchlight’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, released by 20th Century Studios.
Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, confirmed the news, saying she "passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning." She is survived by two sons and five loving grandchildren who, Larkin and Stephens add “are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
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