British actress Maggie Smith, theater and cinema legend best known for her roles in the series Downton Abbey and the movies Harry Potter, died at the age of 89, her two sons announced Friday.
“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning,” said her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens. “She was a very private person, but she was with her friends and family at the end of her life. She leaves two loving sons and five grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” they added.
Often considered the most eminent British actress of a generation that also included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, Maggie Smith notably won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (The Beautiful Years of Miss Brodie) in 1969, as well as another in 1978 for best supporting role in California Suite (California Hotel).
Further details will follow.
With the Associated Press
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