Maggie Smith, stage, film and Downton Abbey star, dies
Maggie Smith, the masterful actress who won an Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey has died at the age of 89.
Smith’s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement that Smith died early on Friday in a London hospital.
“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” they said in a statement issued through publicist Clair Dobbs.
Smith also played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.
Smith was frequently rated the pre-eminent British actress of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench.
Jean Brodie brought her the Academy Award for best actress and the British Academy (BAFTA) award as well in 1969.
She added a supporting actress Oscar for California Suite in 1978.
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