Actress Dame Maggie Smith, known for the Harry Potter and Downton Abbey films, has died aged 89, her family said.
A legend of the British stage and screen, he won two Oscars during his career – for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1970 and California Suite in 1979.
He was also nominated four times, and received eight Bafta awards.
A statement from her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.
“He passed away peacefully in hospital this morning, Friday 27th September. He was an independent person, with friends and family at last. He is survived by 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 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unwavering kindness during his final days.
“Thank you for all your kind messages and support and we ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Dame Maggie’s career began in the theatre, but she received her first Bafta nomination for the 1958 melodrama, Nowhere to Go.
In 1963, she was offered the part of Desdemona by Laurence Olivier, to play opposite his Othello, at the National Theatre, and two years later, it was made into a film with the original cast, with Smith nominated for an Oscar.
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