{"id":2346748,"date":"2024-09-27T12:58:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T16:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harry-potter-and-downton-abbey-star-dies-at-age-89\/"},"modified":"2024-09-27T13:00:32","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T17:00:32","slug":"harry-potter-and-downton-abbey-star-dies-at-age-89","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harry-potter-and-downton-abbey-star-dies-at-age-89\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Harry Potter&#8217; and &#8216;Downton Abbey&#8217; Star Dies at Age 89"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fharry-potter-and-downton-abbey-star-dies-at-age-89%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2346748&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Maggie Smith,\u200d a\u200d celebrated British actress renowned for her powerful \u200cperformances, passed \u2064away\u200c at the age of 89 \u2064in a London hospital on Friday. Smith, \u2063who shot to fame with her Oscar-winning role \u2064in &#8220;The \u200bPrime of Miss\u200c Jean Brodie&#8221; (1969), continued to captivate audiences in later years\u200d as the dowager\u200b Countess\u2064 of Grantham in &#8220;Downton Abbey&#8221; and Professor McGonagall in the &#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; series. \u200bHer sons, Chris \u200bLarkin and Toby Stephens, expressed their sorrow at \u2064her passing, highlighting her impact as \u200ba mother and grandmother.<\/p>\n<p>Over \u2064her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/serena-williams-forced-to-retire-from-wimbledon-in-first-round-because-of-injury\/\" title=\"Serena Williams Forced To Retire From Wimbledon In First Round Because Of Injury\">illustrious career<\/a>, Smith\u200c garnered numerous \u2063accolades, \u200dincluding \u2062two Academy Awards, several BAFTAs, and a Tony Award. She was recognized for both\u2062 her dramatic and \u2062comedic \u2062talents, often noted \u200dfor\u2062 her ability\u2062 to imbue seemingly mundane lines with wit and depth. Despite \u2063a reputation \u200cfor\u200b being demanding, Smith was regarded as one of the smartest actresses in the industry, often outsmarting her colleagues in performances.<\/p>\n<p>Born on \u2063December 28, 1934, in Ilford, London, Smith developed her craft \u200cin theater, eventually\u2063 catching the eye of Laurence Olivier. Her career spanned \u2063decades,\u200d characterized\u200b by a wide range of roles and\u2062 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/uk-russia-has-lost-one-third-of-combat-forces-in-ukraine\/\" title=\"UK: Russia Has Lost One-Third of Combat Forces in Ukraine\">consistently high level<\/a>\u200c of \u200dperformance. Known for her private nature, Smith \u200dhad two marriages, producing two\u200c sons, and was honored with the title \u200dof Dame \u200bCommander\u200c of the\u200c British Empire.<\/p>\n<p>Smith&#8217;s enduring legacy is marked\u200b by her versatility, sharp intelligence, and\u200b the profound impact she had on both\u2062 stage and\u200d screen\u2062 audiences throughout her long and distinguished career.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_2)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for &ldquo;The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie&rdquo; in 1969 and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in &ldquo;Downton Abbey&rdquo; and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/media-melts-called-transphobe-j-k-rowlings-creative-control-new-harry-potter-series\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harry Potter<\/a> films, died Friday. She was 89.<\/p>\n<p>Smith&rsquo;s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement that Smith died early Friday in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-londons-iconic-big-ben-shows-controversial-anti-semitic-message\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">London<\/a> hospital.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,&rdquo; they said in a statement issued through publicist Clair Dobbs.<\/p>\n<p>Smith was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, with a clutch of Academy Award nominations and a shelf full of acting trophies.<\/p>\n<p>She remained in demand even in her later years, despite her lament that &ldquo;when you get into the granny era, you&rsquo;re lucky to get anything.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Smith drily summarized her later roles as &ldquo;a gallery of grotesques,&rdquo; including Professor McGonagall. Asked why she took the role, she quipped: &ldquo;Harry Potter is my pension.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Richard Eyre, who directed Smith in a television production of &ldquo;Suddenly Last Summer,&rdquo; said she was &ldquo;intellectually the smartest actress I&rsquo;ve ever worked with. You have to get up very, very early in the morning to outwit Maggie Smith.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Jean Brodie,&rdquo; in which she played a dangerously charismatic Edinburgh schoolteacher, brought her the Academy Award for best actress, and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) as well in 1969.<\/p>\n<p>Smith added a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/glenn-close-gets-razzie-and-oscar-nomination-for-hillbilly-elegy-role\/\" title=\"Glenn Close Gets Razzie And Oscar Nomination For \u2018Hillbilly Elegy\u2019 Role\">supporting actress<\/a> Oscar for &ldquo;California Suite&rdquo; in 1978, Golden Globes for &ldquo;California Suite&rdquo; and &ldquo;Room with a View,&rdquo; and BAFTAs for lead actress in &ldquo;A Private Function&rdquo; in 1984, &ldquo;A Room with a View&rdquo; in 1986, and &ldquo;The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne&rdquo; in 1988.<\/p>\n<p>She also received Academy Award nominations as a supporting actress in &ldquo;Othello,&rdquo; &ldquo;Travels with My Aunt,&rdquo; &ldquo;Room with a View&rdquo; and &ldquo;Gosford Park,&rdquo; and a BAFTA award for supporting actress in &ldquo;Tea with Mussolini.&rdquo; On stage, she won a Tony in 1990 for &ldquo;Lettice and Lovage.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Her work in 2012 netted three Golden Globe nominations for the globally successful &ldquo;Downton Abbey&rdquo; TV series and the films &ldquo;The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel&rdquo; and &ldquo;Quartet.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Smith had a reputation for being difficult, and sometimes upstaging others.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Burton remarked that Smith didn&rsquo;t just take over a scene in &ldquo;The VIPs&rdquo; with him: &ldquo;She commits grand larceny.&rdquo; However, the director Peter Hall found that Smith wasn&rsquo;t &ldquo;remotely difficult unless she&rsquo;s among idiots. She&rsquo;s very hard on herself, and I don&rsquo;t think she sees any reason why she shouldn&rsquo;t be hard on other people, too.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Smith conceded that she could be impatient at times.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s true I don&rsquo;t tolerate fools, but then they don&rsquo;t tolerate me, so I am spiky,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;Maybe that&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Critic Frank Rich, in a New York Times review of &ldquo;Lettice and Lovage,&rdquo; praised Smith as &ldquo;the stylized classicist who can italicize a line as prosaic as &lsquo;Have you no marmalade?&rsquo; until it sounds like a freshly minted epigram by Coward or Wilde.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Smith famously drew laughs from a prosaic line &mdash; &ldquo;This haddock is disgusting&rdquo; &mdash; in a 1964 revival of Noel Coward&rsquo;s &ldquo;Hay Fever.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But unfortunately the critics mentioned it, and after that it never got a laugh,&rdquo; she recalled. &ldquo;The moment you say something is funny it&rsquo;s gossamer. It&rsquo;s gone, really.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, on the eastern edge of London, on Dec. 28, 1934. She summed up her life briefly: &ldquo;One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, one&rsquo;s still acting.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Her father was assigned in 1939 to wartime duty in Oxford, where her theater studies at the Oxford Playhouse School led to a busy apprenticeship.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I did so many things, you know, round the universities there. &hellip; If you were kind of clever enough and I suppose quick enough, you could almost do weekly rep because all the colleges were doing different productions at different times,&rdquo; she said in a BBC interview.<\/p>\n<p>She took Maggie as her stage name because another Margaret Smith was active in the theater.<\/p>\n<p>Laurence Olivier spotted her talent, invited her to be part of his original National Theatre company and cast her as his co-star in a 1965 film adaptation of &ldquo;Othello.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Smith said two directors, Ingmar Bergman and William Gaskill, both in National Theatre productions, were important influences.<\/p>\n<p>Alan Bennett, preparing to film the monologue &ldquo;A Bed Among the Lentils,&rdquo; said he was wary of Smith&rsquo;s reputation for becoming bored. As the actor Jeremy Brett put it, &ldquo;she starts divinely and then goes off, rather like a cheese.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So the fact that we only just had enough time to do it was an absolute blessing really because she was so fresh and just so into it,&rdquo; said Bennett, who also wrote a starring role for Smith in &ldquo;The Lady in the Van.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However extravagant she may have been on stage or before the cameras, Smith was known to be intensely private.<\/p>\n<p>Simon Callow, who acted with her in &ldquo;A Room with a View,&rdquo; said he ruined their first meeting by spouting compliments.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I blurted out various kinds of rubbish about her and she kind of withdrew. She doesn&rsquo;t like that sort of thing very much at all,&rdquo; Callow said in a film portrait of the actress. &ldquo;She never wanted to talk about acting. Acting was something she was terrified to talk about because if she did, it would disappear.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Smith was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knight, in 1990.<\/p>\n<p>She married fellow actor Robert Stephens in 1967. They had two sons, Christopher and Toby, and divorced in 1975. The same year she married the writer Beverley Cross, who died in 1998.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maggie Smith, the talented and captivating actress who won an Oscar for &#8220;The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie&#8221; in 1969 and gained a new audience in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in &#8220;Downton Abbey&#8221; and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series, passed away on Friday at the age of 89. Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, announced her death early Friday morning at a London hospital. They expressed that she leaves behind two sons and five beloved grandchildren who are heartbroken over losing their remarkable mother and grandmother. Smith was often regarded as one of the leading British actresses of her generation alongside Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, boasting numerous Academy Award nominations and an impressive collection of acting awards. Even in her later years, she remained sought after despite noting that opportunities diminish when one reaches &#8220;the granny era.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2346749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/d8aeac6227d743bbbc5e3df989f5825f-scaled-e1727446743406.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[36238,41858,14890,41857,32229],"class_list":["post-2346748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-celebrity-news","tag-downton-abbey","tag-entertainment","tag-harry-potter","tag-obituary"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/d8aeac6227d743bbbc5e3df989f5825f-scaled-e1727446743406.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2346748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2346748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2346748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2346749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2346748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2346748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2346748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}