Maggie Smith, the "Harry Potter" and "Downton Abbey" actress, died at the age of 89

Dame Maggie Smith, one of the most well-known actresses in Britain, has away, according to a statement released by her sons and relayed by their publicist Clair Dobbs. Smith's lengthy career included parts in "Harry Potter" and "Downton Abbey," in addition to appearing opposite Laurence Olivier in "Othello" on stage and screen.

She was 89.

“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. 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,” the statement reads. “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.”

Born in Ilford, Essex on December 28, 1934, Margaret Natalie Smith was often regarded as the leading British actress of her period, which also included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench.

The family relocated to Oxford, where her father was employed as a pathologist at Oxford University, just before the outbreak of World War II.

Following her high school graduation, Smith studied at the Oxford Playhouse School from 1951 to 1953. She debuted on stage in a production of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" by the Oxford University Dramatic Society.

After that, she made appearances on Broadway in "New Faces of 1956" and from 1957 to 1958, played the lead comic in the London revue "Share My Lettuce." She immediately started making frequent appearances in plays at London's The Old Vic theater.

She performed as Desdemona in Olivier's Othello in 1964, and the following year she returned to the part for the motion picture adaptation. Smith's portrayal of an eccentric schoolteacher in the film "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" earned her her first Academy Award for best actress in 1969.

Her portrayal in Neil Simon's "California Suite" brought her a second Academy Award in 1978, this time for best supporting actress. In addition, she has won British Academy Film Awards for her performances in the films "A Room with a View" (1985) and "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" (1987).

With her roles in the comedy "Travels With My Aunt" in 1972, the Merchant-Ivory drama "A Room With a View" in 1985, and the ensemble mystery "Gosford Park" in 2001, Smith received six nominations for the Academy Awards. In addition, she received frequent recognition from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Golden Globes, and the British Academy Film Awards.

Arguably, her most notable moment globally occurred when she was chosen to play Professor Minerva McGonagall in J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" film series. Professor McGonagall is a witty and stoic Hogwarts professor who maintains a close eye on "The Boy Who Lived."

When Smith agreed to play Professor Minerva McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" film series, she attracted a new fan base. Once, she made the joke, "Harry Potter is my pension." She portrayed the Dowager Countess in two movies and all six seasons of the television program.

Starring in movies including "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," "Quartet," and "The Lady in the Van," she has stayed busy in recent years. Her most recent film role was in "The Miracle Club," which was released in the United Kingdom last year.

Smith became well-known as Dame Maggie Smith after being named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1990.

In 1967, she wed Robert Stephens, a fellow actor. They got divorced in 1975 and had two kids, Christopher and Toby. She wed the novelist Beverley Cross in that same year; he passed away in 1998.