Two-time Oscar winner Maggie Smith dies aged 89

MAGGIE Smith, a two-time Oscar winner who enjoyed a career spanning over seven decades, has died in a London hospital, her sons announced on Friday. Tributes poured in following the announcement.

"It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith," her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement. "She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning."

Smith's career included winning a Tony, two Oscars, three Golden Globes, and five Baftas. In later years, she gained international recognition for her role as the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley, in the television series "Downton Abbey."

King Charles described her as "a national treasure" and admired her warmth and wit. He also shared a photograph of them together. Keir Starmer and the Bafta academy also expressed their admiration, with both calling her a legend of stage and screen.

Born in 1934 in Oxford, Smith was the daughter of an Oxford professor. She made her stage debut in 1952 with the Oxford University Dramatic Society. She won her first Oscar for Best Actress in 1969 for "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and a second for Best Supporting Actress in 1978 for "California Suite."

Her sons said she was a private person who was with family and friends in her final moments. She is survived by two sons and five grandchildren.

Smith's early career included a series of notable performances in London's West End and on Broadway. She starred alongside Laurence Olivier in a 1959 adaptation of "Othello" and later joined the National Theatre company under Olivier's leadership. She received acclaim alongside her first husband, actor Robert Stephens. Their marriage ended in 1975, and she later married screenwriter Beverley Cross, who passed away in 1998.

Despite her reputation for serious roles, Smith also appeared in lighter films, including "Sister Act" and its sequel. Whoopi Goldberg, who starred in those films, described her as "a great woman and a brilliant actress" in an Instagram post. Kristin Scott Thomas, her co-star in "My Old Lady," praised Smith's humour and directness.

In her later years, Smith appeared in well-known films like "Gosford Park," "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," and "The Lady in the Van." From 2001, she portrayed Minerva McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" series, introducing her to a new generation. JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe were among those paying tribute to her, with Radcliffe calling her a "legend" of the industry.

Smith's role in "Downton Abbey" cemented her status as an international star. The show's creator, Julian Fellowes, and her co-star Hugh Bonneville praised her talent and instinctive grasp of her characters. Smith was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1990.

(With inputs from AFP)