The British actress Maggie Smith has passed away at the age of 89, as announced by her family.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday, September 27th. She was surrounded by friends and family at the end. She leaves behind two sons and five beloved grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” her family stated in the announcement.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unwavering kindness during her final days. Thank you for all your kind messages and support, and we ask that you respect our privacy at this time,” the family concluded.

Among many films and television series, Smith was one of the stars of the Harry Potter films and the series Downton Abbey.

She had a long career on stage and screen spanning seven decades and was one of Britain’s most recognizable and prolific actresses. She received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award, as well as six nominations for Laurence Olivier Awards.

Smith began her stage career as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional debut on Broadway in New Faces of ’56. Over the following decades, she established herself, alongside Judi Dench, as one of the most prominent British stage actresses, working with both the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978). Smith portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series (2001-2011). She also appeared in films such as Death on the Nile (1978), Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), Quartet (2012), and The Lady in the Van (2015).

Smith gained international fame for her role as Violet Crawley in the British period drama Downton Abbey (2010-2015). Her portrayal of the Dowager Countess earned her three Emmy Awards.