Downton Abbey and Harry Potter star Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89.
The family of the Oscar-winning star confirmed the news on Friday (September 27).
Actors Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin revealed in a statement that their mother died "peacefully in hospital".
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"It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith," their statement read. "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.
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"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."
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With a highly celebrated career, Smith performed in a variety of roles on stage and screen.
She won her first Oscar for best actress in 1969 for her role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and in 1978 received the gong for best supporting actress for California Suite.
Smith was also awarded eight BAFTA awards throughout her lengthy career.
Younger TV and film fans may recognise Smith from her more recent iconic roles as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies.
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Friends and colleagues of Smith have already begun sharing tributes to the beloved star.
Hugh Bonneville, who starred alongside Smith in Downton Abbey, described her as a "true legend of her generation".
"Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent," he said (via the BBC News).
"The saddest news: the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era & a quite extraordinary life," Gyles Brandreth wrote on X. "She was a truly great actress, 'one of the greats' and simply the best company: wise, witty, waspish, wonderful. One of a kind in every way and consequently irreplaceable."
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