LONDON (AP) — Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” in 1969 and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Friday. She was 89.
Smith’s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement that Smith died early Friday in a London hospital.
“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” they said in a statement issued through publicist Clair Dobbs.
McGonagall was always my favorite professor… She imbued the stern English teacher with a gentle heart. Maggie Smith played that role phenomenally, right there with Richard Harris as Dumbledore.
Richard Harris’ Dumbledore was spot on. Their first scene together to open the films was perfection.
She was Harry’s mother at school basically, and so many other kids.
“I’ve always wanted to do that!”