The world has lost an icon.

©BBC

Legendary British actress Dame Maggie Smith passed away on September 27th, according to her family. Best known to modern audiences for her roles in the Harry Potter film series and Downton Abbey, Smith had a long and storied career that included countless award nominations and critical acclaim.

On September 27th, Smith’s sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin released a statement saying in part, “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. 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.”

Stephens and Larkin also thanked “the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days”, and fans for their messages of support. The family also requested privacy.

©ABC

As news of the actress’s death spread, tributes began to pour in, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who said she “was beloved by so many for her great talent, becoming a true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come.” Co-stars including actor Rob Lowe also spoke of the Smith fondly.

Saddened to hear Dame Maggie Smith has passed. I had the unforgettable experience of working with her; sharing a two-shot was like being paired with a lion. She could eat anyone alive, and often did. But funny, and great company. And suffered no fools. We will never see another.… pic.twitter.com/wjJCL7FqWf

— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) September 27, 2024

Smith, who was born in 1934, began her long and storied career as a student stage actress in the early 1950s. Over the next 8 decades, Smith won two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Tony Award (making her a recipient of the rare Acting Triple Crown), and three Golden Globe Awards. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1990, and a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honor for services to drama in 2014.

While her best-known roles are arguably as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise and Violet Crawley in the British period drama Downton Abbey and its film spinoffs, Smith also appeared in countless other well-known films including, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, California Suite, Othello, Travels with My Aunt, A Room with a View, Gosford Park, Death on the Nile, Hook, Sister Act, The Secret Garden, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Quartet, and The Lady in the Van.

©Warner Brothers

Our thoughts are with Smith’s family and loved ones at this time.