End of an era yet the legacy continues: Harry Potter actor, Dame Maggie Smith dies at 89

On Friday, September 27, Dame Maggie Smith, of Harry Potter fame, passed away at the age of 89. Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, broke the sad news of the actress’s passing to her admirers and well-wishers. They claimed in a statement that Smith passed away quietly in the company of her loved ones.

Her sons, Larkin and Stephens, mentioned in a statement, “She passed away peacefully in the hospital early this morning, Friday, 27th September.” It further read, “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”

The statement 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.”

With her portrayals of classic characters like Jean Brodie in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Donelly in the Marigold Hotel, and Mrs. Castle in Evil Under the Sun, the actress enjoyed one of the most prosperous careers in the Hollywood film industry. Smith’s popularity persisted until the middle of the 1960s.

The most well-known role the actress ever portrayed was that of Professor McGonagall in the wildly successful Harry Potter books. From 2001 to 2007, the Oscar-winning actress persisted in playing the professor in the J.K. Rowling adaptation.

Smith played Violet Crawly again in the film’s 2022 sequel, and she made her most recent appearance in Downtown Abbey in 2019. The last film the actress worked on was Downtown Abbey: The New Era.

Dame Maggie Smith had been married twice in her private life. She had a son with actor Robert Stephens, with whom she had her first marriage. Subsequently, the actress married Beverley Cross, who sadly died in 1998.