Dame Maggie Smith, who played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” franchise, died on Friday, her family confirmed to BBC.
The actress was 89 years old.
“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, wrote in a statement.
“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September,” the siblings, whom Smith shared with ex-husband Robert Stephens, continued. “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,” 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.”
The brothers concluded by thanking Smith’s fans for their “kind messages and support” while requesting “privacy at this time.”
The duo did not speak to their late mother’s cause of death.
The Oscar winner is best known for her role in the beloved adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s book series, which kicked off with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” movie in 2001.
By the time the franchise concluded with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” in 2011, Smith had become a “Downton Abbey” cast member.
Celebrity deaths 2024: Actors, singers and stars we lost this year
She won three Emmys playing Victoria Crawley from 2010 to 2015.
Smith reprised her role in “Downton Abbey: A New Era” in 2022, telling co-star Dominic West that she planned to retire after that.
Before taking on these iconic roles later in her career, Smith made a name for herself onstage with performances from the Oxford Playhouse to Broadway.
Smith, who performed with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company over the years, won one Tony Award in 1975 and was nominated for two more.
Her career flourished onscreen as well, with Smith being the recipient of two Academy Awards and three Golden Globes.
She appeared in more than 60 films, including “Sister Act,” “Othello” and “A Room With a View.”
In 1990, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Smith a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Smith was married twice, wedding Stephens in 1967 and moving on with playwright Alan Beverly Cross in 1975.
The pair were together until Cross’ 1998 death.