Actress Dame Maggie Smith dead at 89

Actress Dame Maggie Smith, known for the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey, has died at the age of 89, her family has said.

A legend of British stage and screen, she won two Oscars during her career – for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1970 and California Suite in 1979.

She had four other nominations, and received eight Bafta awards.

A statement from her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said: “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.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.

“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

Hugh Bonneville, who co-starred in Downton Abbey with Dame Maggie, paid tribute, saying: “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent.

“She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances.

“My condolences to her boys and wider family.”

Her career began in theatre, but she gained her first Bafta nomination in the 1958 melodrama, Nowhere to Go.

By 1963, she was offered the part of Desdemona by Laurence Olivier, to star opposite his Othello, at the National Theatre, and two years later, it was made into a film with the original cast, with Smith being nominated for an Oscar.