Acclaimed British actor Maggie Smith dies aged 89
Britain's
Maggie Smith, one of the most acclaimed actors of her generation with a career
ranging from Shakespeare to Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, has died aged 89,
her family said on Friday.
Smith
was one of a select few to win the treble of an Oscar, Emmy and Tony during
seven decades on stage and screen, becoming a star known for her sharp
intelligence and waspish wit.
King
Charles led the tributes, saying he was deeply saddened by the news of Smith's
death.
"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 on and off the
stage," the monarch said in a statement.
Prime
Minister Keir Starmer said Smith "introduced us to new worlds with the
countless stories she acted over her long career".
"She
was beloved by so many for her great talent, becoming a true national treasure
whose work will be cherished for generations to come," he said.
After
starting on stage in the 1950s, Smith became a fixture at Britain's new
National Theatre in the 1960s, working alongside Laurence Olivier, before
winning her first Oscar at the end of the decade.
But
for many younger fans in the 21st century, she was best-known as Professor
McGonagall in all seven "Harry Potter" movies, and the Dowager
Countess in the hit TV series "Downton Abbey," a role that seemed
tailor-made for an actor known for purse-lipped asides and malicious cracks.
She
died in hospital in London early on Friday, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby
Stephens said.
"An
intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end,"
they said in a statement.
Smith's
first Academy Award nomination was for her turn playing Desdemona opposite
Laurence Olivier's "Othello" in 1965, before winning the Oscar for
her role as an Edinburgh schoolmistress in 1969's "The Prime of Miss
Jean Brodie."
She
won her second Oscar for her supporting role in the 1978 comedy "California
Suite".
Other
critically acclaimed roles included Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's "The
Importance of Being Earnest" on the West End stage, a 92-year-old bitterly
fighting senility in Edward Albee's play "Three Tall Women," and her
part in 2001 black comedy movie "Gosford Park."
In
1990 Smith was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and became a Dame.
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