Legendary British actress Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89.
Her family announced her passing in a statement on Friday, September 27, revealing that she peacefully succumbed to illness in the hospital earlier that morning.
“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” the statement read.
Born in Oxford, Dame Maggie began her acting career as a teenager and gained widespread acclaim, winning an Academy Award for her role in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” in 1969.
In recent years, she captivated a new generation of fans as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. Her remarkable contributions to cinema and theatre have left an indelible mark on the industry.
