British acting icon, Dame Maggie Smith, has passed away at the age of 89.
She died peacefully in the hospital on Friday, September 27th, as announced by her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, in a statement today.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dame Maggie Smith,” the statement read in part. “She passed away peacefully in the early hours of Friday, 27th September.”
Dame Maggie, who began her acting career as a teenager in Oxford, won an Academy Award for her role in *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie* in 1969.
In the 21st century, she gained a new generation of fans as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in *Downton Abbey* and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the *Harry Potter* films.