*Written by staffer Camila Doerffler*
World renowned British actress Maggie Smith, who was best known for playing the roles of the sharp tongued old ladies on “Downton Abbey” and the Harry Potter franchise passed away Sept. 27. She was 89 years old.
Her death was mourned by her fans but especially by her co-stars as they took to social media to pay their respects to the master of the stage and screen.
“When I was younger I had no idea of Maggie’s legend—the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with. It is only as I’ve become an adult that I’ve come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness,” said Emma Watson, who worked with Smith on the set of the Harry Potter films. “She was real, honest, funny and self-honoring.”
“Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent,” fellow Downton Abbey costar Hugh Bonneville stated. “She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances.
These performances earned her many awards and accolades, including three Emmys, two Golden Globes, and one Tony. She was so well-known and respected that she was crowned a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for her services to the performing arts. This honor is only given to those who have made significant contributions to their craft for long periods of time. It equates to being knighted.
The road to earning these titles and awards was no easy feat. During the filming of “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It leaves you so flattened. I’m not sure I could go back to theater work, although film work is more tiring,” Smith said, alluding to her concerns on acting with her disease. “I’m frightened to work in theater now. I feel very uncertain. I haven’t done it for a while.”
In the end, she didn’t let her cancer stop her from continuing to pursue her craft. She went on to star in “Downton Abbey,” where she played the role of witty Dowager Violet Crawley. This role in particular boosted her popularity to new heights, so much so she could hardly go anywhere unrecognized. “It’s ridiculous. I’d led a perfectly normal life until ‘Downton Abbey,’” she told the arts journalist Mark Lawson at the B.F.I. and Radio Times Television Festival in 2017. She added later, “Nobody knew who the hell I was.” Well now, everyone does. Rest in peace, Maggie Smith.
Smith is knighted as a Dame. She was always respected and admired by the royal family. “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,” tweeted King Charles III. (Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
