Remembering Maggie Smith: Beyond Harry Potter, A Long-Lasting Legacy In British Cinema And Hollywood

Maggie Smith, who is popularly known for her role as Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter, has died at 89. The news was confirmed by her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens in a statement. They said, "She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September." Soon after the unfortunate news broke, her industry friends and fans flooded the social media with condolences and heartfelt tribute posts.

About Maggie Smith's prolific career spanning seven decades

Maggie Smith Maggie Smith She was frequently rated the preeminent British actress of a generation which included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. She began her stage career as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her Hollywood debut on Broadway in New Faces of '56. Over the following decades, the veteran actress established herself alongside Judi Dench as one of the most significant British theatre performers and went on to win Tony Award nominations for Noël Coward's Private Lives (1975) and Tom Stoppard’s Night and Day (1979).

However, for many younger fans, she was best known as Professor McGonagall in all seven Harry Potter films, and movie spin-offs of Downton Abbey, her role as Countess of Grantham seemed tailor-made for an actress. She won an Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey. In 1990 Smith was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and became a Dame.

All about Maggie Smith's personal life

Maggie Smith married actor Robert Stephens in June 1967. They had two sons, actors Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, but later in 1975, they parted ways. Smith moved on and married playwright Alan Beverly Cross the same year in June at the Guildford Register Office, and they remained married until his death in March 1998. When asked in 2013 if she was lonely, she replied, "It seems a bit pointless, going on on one's own, and not having someone to share it with". 

Talking about her health, in January 1988, Smith was diagnosed with Graves' disease, for which she underwent radiotherapy and optical surgery. In 2007, The Sunday Telegraph reported Smith had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After undergoing the treatment, the veteran star was reported cancer-free in 2009.

Fans remember 'absolute legend' Maggie Smith

Fans are mourning the death of the veteran actress, who entertained the audience with her exceptional roles in her career spanning around seven decades. Remembering the actress, a user Harry Potter fan shared a clip from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and wrote, "Will always remember this as one of Maggie Smith’s most iconic scenes."

Another wrote, "I’m not going to lie, I’m quite heartbroken. RIP Dame Maggie Smith, thank you for bringing such loveable characters to our screens. You’ll be missed by so many."

Another fan shared a throwback photo from Dame and wrote, "A moment for the beautiful and incredible Dame of our time Maggie Smith who we have lost today. British Televisions were blessed to have her. The crazy part is I was reading her biography just a few days ago. I felt something was coming RIP Dame 🩶 #maggiesmith."

Another wrote, "RIP Dame Maggie Smith Nobody could have pulled off McGonagall quite so well #MaggieSmith."

A user shared a photo of Smith from the Harry Potter series and wrote, "We raise our wands for her today!"

Smith is survived by her two sons and five grandchildren.