World-renowned British actress Dame Maggie Smith, who memorably played Prof. McGonagle in the Harry Potter films and Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey, has passed away at the age of 89. 

Her death was confirmed by her sons, Toby Stevens and Chris Larkin. She died peacefully in a London hospital surrounded by family.

Known for her sharp wit, formidable presence, and impeccable comic timing, Maggie Smith was born Margaret Natalie Smith on December 28, 1934, in Ilford, a large town in east London. She studied theater at Oxford’s Playhouse Theater and quickly became a fixture in the British theater scene, gaining early recognition for her role as Desdemona in Laurence Olivier’s film adaptation of Othello. In 1990, Smith was granted the high honor of being made a Dame Commander of the British Empire.

Smith was intensely private and rarely sat down for interviews. But when she did, she would reveal how important taking on a role was for her, because it allowed her to “be someone else.” She once told Life magazine, “I know it’s only on the stage that I feel really alive. For a certain length of time I have to become a person whom I totally believe in. I would like to be somebody who is really beautiful.”

Her highly-decorated career spanned decades. She earned two Academy Awards, Best Actress in 1974 for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Best Supporting Actress in 1979 for the comedic anthology California Suite. She won several BAFTA awards for Best Actress, including A Room With a View and 1999’s Tea with Mussolini. She won four Emmy awards, including three for her work in Downton Abbey. And she won five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage in 1990.