Earlier today, the world was saddened to hear the news that film legend Dame Maggie Smith is dead at age 89. With a legacy that stretches from stage to screen, there’s no doubt that her contributions to the world of acting are going to inspire fitting tributes to her passing.
In fact, we’re starting to see that at the moment, as members of the Downton Abbey cast, like Hugh Bonneville, as well as other notable co-stars such as Sister Act’s Whoopi Goldberg, have started to share their fondest wishes in light of this sad day.
Starting things off is the official Instagram account for Downton Abbey. The social media presence for the franchise Smith helped cultivate into a worldwide hit took the time to share the following sentiments, coupled with a beautiful picture of Dame Maggie Smith on set:
Further comments were provided to People, as official statements from several members of the Downton Abbey 3 cast spoke fondly of the woman known to the world as the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley. But as you’ll read in statements below, some of these fine people earned the great distinction to simply call her “Maggie”:
- "There was no one quite like Maggie. I feel tremendously lucky to have known such a maverick. She will be deeply missed and my thoughts are with her family." - Michelle Dockery
- “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent. She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family.” - Hugh Bonneville
- “...she was a genius and a delight. A privilege to be around her. The kind of actor who makes you proud to be an actor. And I’ll never forget how sweet she was to my 12-year-old son when he visited set.” - Paul Giamatti
Previous cast members from the show’s television incarnation were also on hand to share their own tip of the hat to the legacy of Dame Maggie Smith. And when it came to Dan Stevens’ Instagram story honoring his days on Downton Abbey, he also included the following recommendation for all fans of her work:
Truly one of The Greats. RIP. If you haven't seen Tea with the Dames, today would be a great day to watch…
Dan Stevens - Instagram
When reflecting on Dame Maggie Smith’s pivotal Downton Abbey casting a couple of years back, you could sense that series writer and creator Julian Fellowes also held a deep admiration for her body of work. Those feelings showed once again when Fellowes shared this statement of remembrance with THR:
Maggie Smith was a truly great actress and we were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career. She was a joy to write for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, funny and heart-breaking. Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career, and I will never forget her.
Julian Fellowes - THR
The world of movies also suffered a loss today, which was shared by Sister Act star, and comedy legend, Whoopi Goldberg. Posting to her personal Instagram with an image of herself and Smith in costume on the set of what some consider one of the best ‘90s movies, Goldberg had this to say:
Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress. 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
Whoopi Goldberg - Instagram
At the moment, only a few members of the cast of the Harry Potter movies have issued any official statements just yet. Ginny Weasley actress Bonnie Wright posted a lovely image of the McGonagall actress with this sweet statement:
Our dearly loved and revered head of Gryffindor house ❤️ you will be so missed by the Harry Potter community. My favourite scene with Maggie was when we were all learning to dance for the Yule Ball. She embodied that perfect balance of sass and loving care that McGonagall has. She kept Gryffindors on their toes. My deepest condolences to Maggie’s family at this time
Not too long after Ms. Wright's remembrance, a statement was provide to Variety by Daniel Radcliffe. In the Harry Potter star's own words, his memories actually spanned to a project before the cinematic adaptation of the best-selling book series. With intense gratitude, Radcliffe shared this:
The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old and we were reading through scenes for ‘David Copperfield,’ which was my first job. I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her,” Radcliffe said in a statement. “The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was ‘would you like me to call you Dame?’ at which she laughed and said something to the effect of ‘don’t be ridiculous!’ I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease. She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the ‘Harry Potter’ films. She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny,” Radcliffe added. “I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie.
Daniel Radcliffe - Variety
As for the official social media presence for the Wizarding World, the parties in charge of that outlet have offered this fitting tribute to the woman who played Professor Minerva McGonagall:
Clearly, this is only the beginning of the collectively bittersweet remembrances that Dame Maggie Smith will inspire. But so far, everything we’ve heard lines up perfectly with the legend she cultivated throughout her storied career.
If you Downton Abbey fans would like to pay tribute by revisiting the Julian Fellowes series, all six seasons are currently being streamed through access to a Prime Video subscription. And if you are looking to watch Sister Act or the Harry Potter films, those can be found on Disney+ and Max, respectively.