Celebrities have flocked to social media to pay tribute to Dame Maggie Smith, after the Downton Abbey and Harry Potter actress died on Friday at the age of 89.
The Oscar-winning star of stage and screen was remembered fondly by actors and actresses of all ages from Hollywood and in the UK.
Rob Lowe, who starred alongside Smith in Suddenly, Last Summer back in 1993 was among the first to pay tribute to the icon.
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“Saddened to hear Dame Maggie Smith has passed,” he began.
“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. But funny, and great company. And suffered no fools.
“We will never see another. God speed, Ms. Smith!”
Smith’s Sister Act co-star Whoopi Goldberg was also quick to pay tribute to the “great woman”.
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”Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress,” Goldberg wrote alongside a shot of them both wearing habits, for their turn as nuns in the movie.
“I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind’. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family…RIP.”
Hugh Bonneville, Smith’s Downton Abbey son, shared his thoughts on his TV mum.
“Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent,” he said.
“She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances.
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“My condolences to her boys and wider family.”
While fellow Downton actor Dan Stevens simply said Smith was “truly one of The Greats”.
In a blow to Harry Potter fans, Smith died the same day a year on from the death of Michael Gambon, the Irish actor who played Hogwarts headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore.
Piers Morgan wrote: “Magnificent actress, magnificent lady. As entertaining, sharp and witty off screen as she was off it. A very very sad loss for Britain.”
Even the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, shared his thoughts online about the “national treasure”.
“Dame Maggie Smith introduced us to new worlds with the countless stories she acted over her long career,” he wrote.
“She was beloved by so many for her great talent, becoming a true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come.”
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) shared a tribute to the award-winner online as well.
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“We’re saddened to hear that actor Dame Maggie Smith, best known for the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey, has died at the age of 89,” they wrote.
“Dame Maggie was a legend of British stage and screen, winning five BAFTAs as well as a BAFTA Special Award and BAFTA Fellowship during her highly acclaimed career.”
Along with her BAFTAs, the actress scored two Oscars for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and California Suite, and also won two Golden Globes for California Suite and Room with a View.
The actress, who was born Margaret Natalie Smith on December 28, 1934, took on the stage name Maggie after taking on theatre studies at the Oxford Playhouse School.
Laurence Olivier spotted her talent, invited her to be part of his original National Theatre company and cast her as his co-star in a 1965 film adaptation of Othello.
Smith’s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, announced their mum’s death on Friday, revealing she died in a London hospital.
“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” they said in the statement issued through publicist Clair Dobbs.
“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.”
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