Yahoo News Dame Maggie Smith dies aged 89 as sons pay tribute to beloved film and TV icon
Dame Maggie Smith has died aged 89, the sons of the beloved film and TV icon have sadly announced today (Friday, September 27).
The national treasure, best known in her later career for her starring roles as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films and as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey, was born in Essex in 1934. Before then, she was one of the most significant theatre performers of her generation, working for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare company.
Her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said she died in hospital on Friday morning. They shared in a statement: “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.
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“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
They added: “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. We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
On Broadway, Dame Maggie received Tony Award nominations for Noël Coward's Private Lives in 1975 and Tom Stoppard’s Night and Day in 1979, and went on to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage in 1990 - just one of the many awards the actress was decorated with throughout her illustrious career.
Smith won Academy Awards for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and California Suite, as well as being Oscar-nominated for Othello, Travels with My Aunt, A Room with a View, and Gosford Park.
She will be missed by millions of fans around the world, also known for her roles in beloved films such as Sister Act, The Secret Garden, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and The Lady in the Van.
