Veteran British star Maggie Smith, best known for playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, is dead. The actress was 89 and according to her publicist, died on September 27.&nbsp; 
 
In a statement issued to the press, Smith's two sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said, "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. 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 veteran actress had an illustrious career spanning over 70 years and was known for bringing her scathing wit to the characters she played on screen including Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. 
 
She was born Margaret Natalie Smith in December 1934 in Ilford, Essex, to a Scottish secretary mum and a pathologist dad.&nbsp;The family moved to Oxford when she was four. She studied acting at the Oxford Playhouse. 
 
At the age of 17, Maggie got her first role&nbsp;as Viola in Twelfth Night before appearing in Cinderella, Rookery Nook and The Government Inspector.

In 1958, the actress made her screen debut in Nowhere to Go. She was already a known face in theatre by then. She saw&nbsp;worldwide fame for her performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969. The role also fetched her first Oscars.&nbsp; 
 
She won her second Academy Award for best supporting actress in California Suite alongside Michael Caine. 
 
In her long career, Smith has been part of iconic films like Sister Act, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet. 
 
In 2001, Maggie took the role as Hogwarts deputy headmistress Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter series of films. She played the Transfiguration teacher in seven of the eight films until 2011.

Maggie won three Emmys for her portrayal of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey.

Smith married actor Robert Stephens in June 1967 and the couple shared two sons, actors Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, before they divorced eight years later. She went on to&nbsp;marry&nbsp;playwright Beverley Cross in 1975 before he died in 1998.

The actress was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1990 and was named a Companion of Honour (CH) in 2014.

Veteran British star Maggie Smith, best known for playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, is dead. The actress was 89 and according to her publicist, died on September 27.

Veteran British star Maggie Smith, best known for playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, is dead. The actress was 89 and according to her publicist, died on September 27. In a statement issued to the press, Smith's two sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said, "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. 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 veteran actress had an illustrious career spanning over 70 years and was known for bringing her scathing wit to the characters she played on screen including Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. She was born Margaret Natalie Smith in December 1934 in Ilford, Essex, to a Scottish secretary mum and a pathologist dad. The family moved to Oxford when she was four. She studied acting at the Oxford Playhouse. At the age of 17, Maggie got her first role as Viola in Twelfth Night before appearing in Cinderella, Rookery Nook and The Government Inspector. In 1958, the actress made her screen debut in Nowhere to Go. She was already a known face in theatre by then. She saw worldwide fame for her performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969. The role also fetched her first Oscars. She won her second Academy Award for best supporting actress in California Suite alongside Michael Caine. In her long career, Smith has been part of iconic films like Sister Act, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet. In 2001, Maggie took the role as Hogwarts deputy headmistress Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter series of films. She played the Transfiguration teacher in seven of the eight films until 2011. Maggie won three Emmys for her portrayal of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey. Smith married actor Robert Stephens in June 1967 and the couple shared two sons, actors Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, before they divorced eight years later. She went on to marry playwright Beverley Cross in 1975 before he died in 1998. The actress was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1990 and was named a Companion of Honour (CH) in 2014.

Maggie Smith, iconic star of British theatre and films, dies at 89

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Maggie Smith, iconic star of British theatre and films, dies at 89