ALBAWABA - Dame Maggie Smith, well known for her roles in the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey, has died at the age of 89, her family said.
We regret to inform you of Dame Maggie Smith's passing. She died quietly this morning, Friday, September 27th, at the hospital. Despite her reclusive nature, loved ones surrounded her during her final moments, according to the statement. The death of their remarkable grandma and mother has saddened her two sons and five adoring grandkids. The excellent staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital provided exceptional care and unwavering compassion throughout her last days, and we are really grateful.
She was a legendary figure in British theater and film, earning two Academy Awards—one for 1970's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and another for 1979's California Suite.
She received nominations for four more Baftas in addition to her eight awards.
Dame Maggie portrayed the scathing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. McGonagall was known for her severe demeanor and pointed witch's hat when dealing with the young wizards at Hogwarts.
She portrayed the Dowager Countess of Grantham, a magnificent grandmother who was known for her mastery of biting one-liners, in the six seasons of the popular ITV program Downton Abbey.
In 1934, Smith was born in Ilford, a middle-class district in east London, was the place of Smith's birth in 1934. Her father was a pathologist at Oxford University, so the family relocated there just before WWII broke out.
After graduating from high school, Smith made her theatrical debut in a performance of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" by the Oxford University Dramatic Society in 1953, after attending the Oxford Playhouse School from 1951 to 1953.
Following her appearance in "New Faces of 1956" on Broadway, she was the featured comic in the 1957–1958 London revue "Share My Lettuce." She quickly established herself as a frequent performer at London's The Old Vic theater.
She first appeared in the 1964 stage production as Desdemona, opposite Laurence Olivier as Othello, and she reprised the role in the 1965 film adaptation. In 1969, for her role as an unusual teacher in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," Smith received her first Academy Award for best actress.
For her role in Neil Simon's "California Suite," she won her second Academy Award in 1978—this time for best supporting actress. For her performances in films like "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" (1987) and "A Room with a View" (1985), she has also won British Academy Film Awards.
