BREAKING: Dame Maggie Smith, the British actress whose career on stage, film and television spanned more than 60 years, has died… Read more

Smith was renowned for her roles as Professor McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” films and the Dowager Countess on “Downton Abbey.” She was 89.
Maggie Smith, the venerable British actress whose career on stage, film and television spanned more than 60 years, has died. She was 89.

Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, confirmed she had died in a statement to the Press Association.

Having appeared in more than 50 films, Smith was considered one of Britain’s best known actresses and was beloved by recent generations for her roles as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” films and the Dowager Countess of Grantham on television’s “Downton Abbey.”