Dame Maggie Smith, best known for her “Harry Potter films” and “Downton Abbey,”, will be remembered as “a true legend” on stage and screen following her death at 89, according to BBC. com.
Her family announced the death in a statement released by publicist Clair Dobbs but did not provide further details.
According to BBC.com, they thanked “the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days. ”
Additionally, her family stated, “We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time,” according to BBC. com
Actor Daniel Radcliffe, who learned of the late actress Maggie Smith’s passing at 89, paid tribute to her in a statement to the Post.
“She was a fierce intellect, had a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny.”
The prime minister agreed that Dame Maggie was “a true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come,” according to BBC. com
For most of her six decades in show business, Maggie Smith defined herself mainly as a theatrical actress, with memorable roles in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“A comedian of incandescent wit and a tragedian of cunning power, she portrayed both Oscar Wilde’s class-conscious Lady Bracknell and Shakespeare’s ruthlessly ambitious
Lady Macbeth with spellbinding precision. Is also well known for her roles in the “Harry Potter movies” and on the TV series “Downtown Abby,”’ Adam Bernstein wrote.
“She has merged her vivid personality with that of her charismatic subject,” Mel Gussow, a Times art critic wrote.
In a statement, King Charles said, “As the curtain comes down on a national treasure, we join all those around the world in remembering with the fondest admiration and affection her many great performances, and her warmth and wit that shone through both off and on the stage.”
