Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has shared a heartfelt tribute to her longtime costar Dame Maggie Smith.
On the morning of September 27th, it was announced by Smith’s sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, that the two-time Oscar winner had passed away at the age of 89.
“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” they wrote.
“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,” they added.
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Emma Watson, who portrayed Hermione Granger alongside Smith’s Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series, took to her Instagram Stories today to post a moving message about her late costar.
“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 l’ve come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness,” Watson wrote alongside a picture of her and Smith from the Harry Potter set.
“She was real, honest, funny and self-honouring. Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God you held your own. Thank you for all of your kindness. I’ll miss you.”
Daniel Radcliffe, who played the main character in the Harry Potter films, also paid tribute to Smith earlier today. “The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old and we were reading through scenes for David Copperfield, which was my first job,” he wrote.
“I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her,” Radcliffe said in his statement via Variety. “The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was ‘would you like me to call you Dame?’ at which she laughed and said something to the effect of ‘don’t be ridiculous!’
“I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease.
“She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films.”
“She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny,” Radcliffe added.
“I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her.
“Thank you Maggie.”