Harry Potter star Dame Maggie Smith has passed away at the age of 89.
The celebrated actor gained widespread fame for her memorable portrayal of Professor McGonagall in the popular Harry Potter film series.
“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.”
Born in 1934, Maggie Smith grew up in Oxford, England, and began her acting career as a teenager.
She was featured in several plays, including a musical comedy called Share My Lettuce in 1957.
Her film debut came the following year with the thriller Nowhere to Go, released in 1958. Her performance earned her a Bafta nomination for best supporting actress.
In 1969, she starred as the lead in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, an adaptation of the Muriel Spark novel.
Her role as a Scottish school teacher who admired Benito Mussolini won her an Oscar for best actress in 1970.
Three years later, she received another Oscar nomination, though she did not win. However, she claimed her second Oscar in 1979 for best supporting actress in California Suite.
Throughout her career, Smith won two Oscars and was nominated on four other occasions. She also took home eight Bafta awards.
Queen Elizabeth II made Smith a Dame in 1990 for her contributions to the Arts, and in 2014, she was awarded a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to drama.
Larkin and Stephens are her only two children.