Dame Maggie Smith (†89): The actress has died

Dame Maggie Smith (†89): The actress has died Article by spg/Gala • 15 hours • 3 minutes reading time Hollywood mourns a legend: Actress Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89. For several decades she was one of the big names in the acting industry, now Dame Maggie Smith has closed her eyes forever. As her family announced, she died at the age of 89. Dame Maggie Smith died surrounded by her loved ones "It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital this morning, Friday 27 September," BBC quoted from a statement by her sons Toby Stephens, 55, and Chris Larkin, 57. "She was a very reserved person and was surrounded by friends and family at the end." Dame Maggie Smith leaves behind "two sons and five loving grandchildren who are deeply saddened by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother," it continues. The family would also like to thank the "wonderful staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unconditional kindness during her final days" and asks that the family's privacy be respected during this time. From the theater stage to Hollywood Maggie Smith was born Margaret Natalie Smith on December 28, 1934 in Essex, near London. She was interested in acting from an early age. After leaving school at the age of 16, she attended the Oxford Playhouse School. She began her career in numerous theater productions in Great Britain. In 1956, she made her debut on Broadway after being discovered by the American producer Leonard Sillman. She also started her film career in the same year. A small role in the film "Child In The House" was followed two years later by a supporting role in the thriller "Hunted", for which she received a nomination for the "British Film Academy Award". In 1963 she took on the role of Desdemona in "Othello" at the National Theatre in London. Two years later the play was filmed with the same cast and Maggie Smith was nominated for an Oscar. Maggie Smith played Professor McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" films In 1970 she actually received an Oscar for "Best Actress" in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and nine years later she was again delighted to receive one of the coveted golden boys for "Best Supporting Actress" in "The California Hotel". In the decades that followed, the Brit appeared in numerous successful productions, increasingly in Hollywood, including the "Sister Act" series, "The Devil's Club" with Diane Keaton, 78, and Goldie Hawn, 78, and "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisters" alongside Sandra Bullock, 60, and Ashley Judd, 56. From 2001, she played the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall in seven of the "Harry Potter" film adaptations. She was the only actress personally asked by author Joanne K. Rowling to take on a part. Queen Elizabeth, †96, appointed Smith "Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)" in 1970, made her "Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE)" in 1990, and "Companion of Honour" in 2014. Her circle of friends included Judi Dench, 89, and Helen Mirren, 79. Dame Maggie Smith was married to actor Robert Stephens, †64, from 1967 to 1975, with whom she has two sons, Christopher Stephens, whose stage name is Chris Larkin, and Toby Stephens. Her second marriage to screenwriter Beverley Cross lasted from 1975 until his death in 1998.