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| Maggie Smith in A Room With A View |
Two time Oscar winner, five time BAFTA winner, three time Golden Globe winner and dame, the much-admired actor Maggie Smith has died in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital at the age of 89, according to her family.
The star, who rose to prominence in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969, devoted her life to her craft and won fans in every generation. Notable roles included Desdemona in Stuart Burge's 1965 production of Othello, Augusta Bertram in George Cukor's adaptation of Graham Greene's Travels With My Aunt, Miss Bowers in Poirot mystery Death On The Nile, and conflicted chaperone Charlotte Bartlett is A Room With A View. Although her career spanned many different genres, she found a comfortable niche in the heritage film, with her work in Robert Altman's Gosford Park leading to a series of appearances in the TV series Downton Abbey, which proved to be an international hit. Her younger fans knew her best as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.
An alumna of the Oxford Playhouse, Smith also enjoyed an impressive stage career, working with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as appearing on Broadway. She received a Tony award to add to her laurels, and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award on no fewer than six occasions.
Expressing his sadness at her passing, the actor Rob Lowe tweeted "I had the unforgettable experience of working with her; sharing a two-shot was like being paired with a lion. She could eat anyone alive, and often did."
Smith is survived by her two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, and five grandchildren.
