Actress Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89. She is known for her roles in the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey, as well as her Academy Award-winning performance in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie. Dame Maggie’s sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said she died in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Friday morning. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00She was an actress with an extensive career in stage, film and television.
00:06Dame Maggie Smith appeared in more than 60 films and over 70 plays.
00:12She was no doubt one of Britain's most recognisable actresses.
00:17Maggie began her career on stage as a student
00:20and made her professional debut on Broadway in New Faces of 56.
00:25For her work on the London stage,
00:27she won a record six Best Actress Evening Standard Awards.
00:31I really have nothing to say. I can't speak in public.
00:35I've done it once before at a function and it was an absolute disaster.
00:39For her film work, she won two Academy Awards,
00:42one for Best Actress and one for Best Supporting Actress.
00:46She is one of only seven actresses to have ever won in both categories.
00:52She's also won a record four BAFTA Awards for Best Actress.
00:57Not bad for the girl from Essex born in 1934.
01:01She worked steadily throughout each decade,
01:04often playing iconic roles in blockbuster films like Harry Potter,
01:08Steven Spielberg's Hook and Sister Act.
01:13From 2010 to 2015,
01:17she appeared as Violet Crawley in the period drama Downton Abbey.
01:21This role won her three Primetime Emmy Awards,
01:24a Golden Globe and four Screen Actor Guild Awards.
01:28Even in her 80s, the acting work didn't slow down.
01:32In 2015, she starred in the comedy-drama film The Lady in the Van.
01:37The film received critical acclaim
01:39and Maggie received a Golden Globe Award for her performance.
01:44You shut the door!
01:46She was married to actor Robert Stevens from 1967 until 1975.
01:52Together, they had two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stevens.
01:57Both of her sons became actors
01:59and found success on stage and screen in their own right.
02:04Maggie went on to marry playwright Beverly Cross in 1975
02:08and they remained married until his death in 98.
02:13Dame Maggie Smith leaves behind her two sons, five grandchildren
02:18and an acting legacy spanning more than 70 years.