Dame Maggie Smith, famous for her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, has sadly died aged 89.
Maggie Smith has died aged 89.Credit: Mike Marsland / Getty
In a statement, her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said, per BBC News: "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.
"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."
The star had a long, successful career.Credit: Karwai Tang / Getty
Smith had an illustrious career on both stage and screen but is perhaps best remembered for her role as Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series.
She won two Oscars in her career for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1970 and California Suite in 1979.
Smith's acting journey began at a young age, and after studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she made her professional debut in 1952.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, she continued to shine in films such as Death on the Nile (1978) and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987).
Her career surged in the 2000s with iconic roles in the Harry Potter series as Professor Minerva McGonagall and as the sharp-witted Dowager Countess Violet Crawley in the acclaimed series Downton Abbey (2010-2015).
Dame Maggie Smith. Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty
Smith's performances have garnered numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, and two Emmy Awards.
Beyond her film and television work, Smith has had a distinguished stage career, particularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
In recognition of her contributions to the arts, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2014.
Our thoughts are with Smith's loved ones and fans at this difficult time.
Daniel Radcliffe has penned a touching tribute to his former Harry Potter co-star Dame Maggie Smith, who has passed away at the age of 89.
Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty
Radcliffe portrayed the young wizard in eight films between 2001 and 2011, while Smith appeared in all but one installment as Professor Minerva McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and deputy headmistress of Hogwarts under Albus Dumbledore.
In a statement (via Variety), Radcliffe recalled: “The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old and we were reading through scenes for David Copperfield, which was my first job. I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her.
“The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was ‘would you like me to call you Dame?’ at which she laughed and said something to the effect of ‘don’t be ridiculous!’
“I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease. She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films.”
Credit: Dave M. Benett / Getty
Radcliffe described her as having “a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny.
"I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her.
“Thank you Maggie.”
Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley in the film series, also honored the “revered head of Gryffindor house.”
“Our dearly loved and revered head of Gryffindor house, you will be so missed by the Harry Potter community,” wrote Wright on Instagram.
“My favorite scene with Maggie was when we were all learning to dance for the Yule Ball. She embodied that perfect balance of sass and loving care that McGonagall has. She kept Gryffindors on their toes. My deepest condolences to Maggie’s family at this time.”
Numerous other figures have shared their tributes and memories of Smith, including King Charles III, Prime Minister Kier Starmer, and her Sister Act co-star Whoopi Goldberg.
Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout have been confirmed as Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
But before we look to the future, let's take a look back at the actors we've sadly lost, who made Hogwarts a magical place to begin with.
Dame Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall)
Legendary British actress Dame Maggie Smith played the formidable Professor Minerva McGonagall in seven of the eight original films — only missing out on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Her death was announced on 27 September, 2024.
Her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said: "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."
Maggie Smith died aged 89. Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty
Richard Harris (Albus Dumbledore)
Harris played the wise and kind headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the first two films before passing away on 25 October, 2002, aged 72. He was succeeded in the role by Michael Gambon.
Harris passed away after the second movie. Credit: Anthony Harvey / Getty
Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore)
Gambon stepped in as Dumbledore from The Prisoner of Azkaban onwards and made the role his own. He passed away on 27 September 2023, at age 82.
Gambon played Dumbledore from the third film. Credit: Mike Marsland / Getty
Alan Rickman (Severus Snape)
Arguably one of the most unforgettable performances in the series, Rickman’s portrayal of the complex Professor Snape spanned every film. He died in January 2016 following a private battle with terminal cancer.
Alan Rickman was a fan favorite. Credit: Murray Close / Getty
Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid)
Beloved for his role as the giant-hearted Hagrid, Coltrane brought warmth and humor to the franchise. He died on 14 October 2022.
Coltrane brought Hagrid to life. Credit: Murray Close / Getty
Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy)
McCrory portrayed Draco Malfoy’s fiercely protective mother. Also known for her work in Peaky Blinders, she died on 16 April, 2021.
Helen McCrory. Credit: Jeff Spicer / Getty
Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley)
Griffiths was unforgettable as Harry’s grumpy Uncle Vernon. He passed away on 28 March, 2013.
Richard Griffiths. Credit: Jemal Countess / Getty
John Hurt (Garrick Ollivander)
As the enigmatic wand-maker Ollivander, Hurt appeared in four films. He died on 25 January, 2017.
John Hurt. Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty
Leslie Phillips (The Sorting Hat)
Phillips lent his voice to the Sorting Hat. Known for Carry On films and The Parent Trap, he died on 7 November 2022. His wife Zara called him a “wonderful husband and national treasure.”
Leslie Phillips. Credit: Peter Macdiarmid / Getty
Verne Troyer (Griphook)
Best known as Mini Me in Austin Powers, Troyer also portrayed Griphook in Philosopher’s Stone. He died on 21 April, 2018.
David Ryall and Peter Cartwright (Elphias Doge)
Cartwright first played the member of the Order of the Phoenix in Order of the Phoenix and was later replaced by Ryall in Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Cartwright died on 18 November, 2013; Ryall passed on 25 December, 2014.
Elizabeth Spriggs (The Fat Lady)
Spriggs appeared in the first film as the portrait guarding Gryffindor Tower. She died on 2 July, 2008. Dawn French later took over the role.
Elizabeth Spriggs as The Fat Lady. Credit: Warner Bros
Timothy Bateson (Kreacher)
He voiced house-elf Kreacher in Order of the Phoenix. Bateson died on 15 September 2009. Simon McBurney voiced the character afterward.
Jimmy Gardner (Ernie Prang)
Gardner played the Knight Bus driver in Prisoner of Azkaban and passed away on 3 May, 2010.
Robert Knox (Marcus Belby)
Tragically murdered at just 18, Knox appeared in Half-Blood Prince and had signed on for more. He died on 24 May, 2008, after intervening in a fight. His killer was sentenced to life in prison.
Robert Knox was sadly murdered. Credit: Warner Bros
Alfred Burke (Armando Dippet)
Burke portrayed the former Hogwarts headmaster in Chamber of Secrets. He died in February 2011 at age 92.
Eric Sykes (Frank Bryce)
Sykes played the Riddle family gardener in Goblet of Fire. He died on 4 July, 2012.
Roger Lloyd Pack (Barty Crouch Sr.)
Known as Trigger from Only Fools and Horses, Lloyd Pack played the stern Ministry official. He died on 15 January 2014.
Roger Lloyd Pack. Credit: Martin Doyle / Getty
Derek Deadman (Tom, The Leaky Cauldron)
Deadman portrayed the pub landlord Tom and died on 22 November 2014, in France ,from diabetes complications.
Dave Legeno (Fenrir Greyback)
Legeno brought terrifying presence to the role of werewolf Fenrir Greyback. He died in Death Valley, California, in July 2014.
Dave Legeno as Fenrir Greyback. Credit: Warner Bros
Paul Ritter (Eldred Worple)
Ritter starred in Half-Blood Prince and was known for Friday Night Dinner and Chernobyl. He passed away on 5 April, 2021.
Terence Bayler (The Bloody Baron)
The ghostly Bloody Baron made his appearance in Philosopher’s Stone. Bayler died on 2 August, 2016.
Hazel Douglas (Bathilda Bagshot)
Douglas played the historian in Deathly Hallows – Part 1. She died on 8 September, 2016.
Sam Beazley (Professor Everard)
Beazley’s moving portrait featured in Order of the Phoenix. He died aged 101 on 12 June, 2017.
Robert Hardy (Cornelius Fudge)
The often-flustered Minister of Magic was played by Hardy, who passed on 3 August, 2017.
Robert Hardy died in 2017. Credit: Dave Hogan / Getty
Tony Adkins (Giant)
Largely famed for being Simon Cowell's bodyguard, Adkins also played a role as a giant in The Deathly Hallows: Part Two. He sadly died on April 20, 2025.
The legendary actress Dame Diana Rigg has died at the age of 82, her family has confirmed.
Per BBC News, in a statement released on Thursday (September 10), her agent addressed her fans, saying:
"She died peacefully early this morning.
"She was at home with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time."
Rigg is best known by modern audiences for her role as Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, but also became a household name for her role in TV series The Avengers and the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Following the sad news of her death, tributes have been pouring in on social media. Actor and writer Mark Gatiss wrote, "It was my great joy and privilege to have known Diana Rigg. From three slightly hysterical months at the Old Vic in ‘All About Mother’ to writing The Crimson Horror for Diana and her wonderful daughter Rachael. Flinty, fearless, fabulous. There will never be another. RIP"
BAFTA wrote on Twitter, "We're sad to hear of the passing of Dame Diana Rigg, BAFTA-winner for her performance in Mother Love in 1990 and joint recipient of the BAFTA Television Special Award in 2000 for The Avengers."
Director Edgar Wright posted the following message to Twitter:
"What to say about Diana Rigg? I could talk about her incredible career, but for now I'll just say as a lifelong fan, it was beyond a thrill to work with her on her final film. She exceeded all my highest expectations, so blazingly talented, fiery & funny. Miss you already Dame D."
The Almeida Theatre wrote, "We are sad to hear of the passing of Dame Diana Rigg. We were honoured to have had Diana perform at the Almeida. Most notably, in her Olivier and Tony award-winning performance of Medea which opened at the Almeida in 1992, before transferring to the West End and Broadway."
Last year, Rigg revealed to the BBC about how much she adored her role as the sharp-tongued Tyrell in the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, saying:
"I love playing bad [characters]. They are so much more interesting than good.
"There are some actors who don't like to play bad; they like to be liked. I love to be disliked. Olenna had the best lines."
Over her prolific career, Rigg became a nine-time Emmy-nominated actress - winning only once for her role as Mrs Danvers in Rebecca in 1997. She also won a prestigious Tony Award for Best Actress for her stage role as Medea in the play of the same name.
Our thoughts are with Dame Diana Rigg's family, friends, and fans.
The star was perhaps best known by fans for her roles as Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie and as Polly Gray in the critically acclaimed BBC drama Peaky Blinders.
Confirming the news on Twitter, actor Damian Lewis, who married McCrory in 2007, wrote:
"Im heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at her home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family.
"Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you."
The Independent reports that the star's cancer diagnosis has been kept private from her fans.
Born in Paddington, England, McCrory started studying acting at the Drama Centre in London. Throughout her career, she became a beloved star on both the big and small screen.
Some of McCrory's other prominent roles include her portrayal of Cherie Blair in both The Queen and The Special Relationship, as well as her performances in Charlotte Gray, Hugo, Skyfall, and Fearless.
Credit: Allstar/Alamy
McCrory was also a celebrated stage actor, having won a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress in 2015 for her performance in Medea.
She was also nominated for an Olivier theatre award in 2006 for her West End performance as Rosalind in As You Like It.
Our thoughts are with McCrory's family, friends, and fans at this time.
Emma Watson has shared the heartbreaking reason why she has been noticeably absent from Hollywood for half a decade.
Emma Watson has shared the heartbreaking reason why she stepped away from acting. Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty
The 34-year-old British star is widely recognized for her iconic portrayal of Hermione Granger in the beloved Harry Potter franchise - allowing fans to witness her character's growth from childhood to adulthood.
Beyond the wizarding world, Watson starred in renowned films such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the live-action Beauty and the Beast, and Noah.
The award-winning actress's last major role was in Greta Gerwig's Little Women - which was released in 2019.
Watson played the role of Margaret 'Meg' March in the coming-of-age movie, starring alongside Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep.
Watson's last major role was in Greta Gerwig's Little Women (2019), starring alongside Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen. Credit: Taylor Hill / Getty
Watson's recent career choices, which include pursuing a creative writing MA at Oxford and directing a Prada commercial, have led fans to question her future acting plans.
In a candid interview with Financial Times, which was published early last year, the Harry Potter star revealed why she stepped away from on-screen work.
She said she "wasn’t very happy," adding: “I think I felt a bit caged... The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn’t have very much control over.
“To stand in front of a film and have every journalist be able to say, ‘How does this align with your viewpoint?’ It was very difficult to have to be the face and the spokesperson for things where I didn’t get to be involved in the process,” she explained.
The film star grappled with feeling voiceless in interviews about her work. “I only wanted to stand in front of things where if someone was going to give me flak about it, I could say, in a way that didn’t make me hate myself, ‘Yes, I screwed up, it was my decision, I should have done better,'" she concluded.
Emma launched a gin brand with her brother Alex. Credit: Gilbert Flores / Getty
Watson shifted her focus from acting to projects where she could maintain creative control - such as launching Enter Renais, a gin brand with her brother Alex in 2023.
While she has taken a break from Hollywood, she remains connected to the industry and reassured fans that she will "absolutely" return.
"But I’m happy to sit and wait for the next right thing. I love what I do,” she shared. “It’s finding a way to do it where I don’t have to fracture myself into different faces and people. And I just don’t want to switch into robot mode anymore. Does that make sense?"
We hope to see Watson return to the screen in the future!
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.jpg_I4Ebof?tr=cr-0.338.2730.3068,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.jpg_tZsB8M?tr=cr-0.0.771.1025,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.jpg_I4Ebof?tr=cr-0.338.2730.3068,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
