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The incomparable Dame Maggie Smith, known for her myriad roles in film, TV, and onstage, died Friday in London, her family said. She was 89.
“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end,” her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said in a statement. “She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren, who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
They wrote, “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.”
Maggie Smith was born Margaret Natalie Smith on Dec. 28, 1934, in Ilford, England, to Nathaniel and Margaret Smith. When she was 4, her family, including her older twin brothers Alistair and Ian, moved to Oxford, where Smith’s father worked as a public health pathologist at the university. Smith attended Oxford High School until she was 16, when she left to study acting at the Oxford Playhouse.
The freckle-faced redhead began her career at the Playhouse in 1952, transforming for roles including Viola in “The Twelfth Night.” In 1956, she made her film and Broadway debuts, appearing as one of the party guests in the movie “Child in the House” and playing several roles in the review “New Faces of ’56” at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City.
“There was one very famous one, which was the one with Eartha Kitt. And I think everybody who was in it thought they were all going to be Eartha Kitt or be big stars,” Smith told NPR of starring in “New Faces.” “That didn’t happen, but it was a wake-up call to have one’s first professional job on Broadway, I must say.”
Throughout her over-60-year career, Smith starred in more than 80 films and TV series and appeared in dozens of plays, including four on Broadway.
Smith starred in movies including “Othello” (1965), “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (1969), “Clash of the Titans” (1981), “The Secret Garden” (1993), “Gosford Park” (2001), “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2012) and “The Lady in the Van” (2015). She won a Best Actress Oscar for “Jean Brodie” and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “California Suite” (1978). She also won five BAFTAs, four Emmys, three Golden Globes, and a Tony award.
In recent years, Smith was well-known for her portrayal of Violet Crawley in the “Downton Abbey” TV series and movies, as well as her role as Professor McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, which was beloved by many, including herself.
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Dame Maggie Smith arrives at the world premiere of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” in London in 2005.
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James' World 2 
Sep 28, 2024 @ 04:23:40
Downton Abbey, one of my favorites shows. Thanks for sharing.
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Sep 28, 2024 @ 08:33:20
You are welcome, Maggie Smith was a great actor.
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Sep 28, 2024 @ 20:58:46
Such a versatile actress! She will be truly missed.
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Sep 28, 2024 @ 21:28:30
So true 👍!
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Sep 28, 2024 @ 23:22:24
One of my favourite actors. I am going to miss seeing her in films.
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Sep 29, 2024 @ 07:58:19
I agree, she was a great actor!
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