Oscar Award Winning Actress Maggie Smith of ‘Downton Abbey,’ ‘Harry Potter’ Dies at Age 89

Maggie Smith, who won an Academy Award in 1969 for her role in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” has died in London, according to media reports Friday. She was 89.

Smith played the Countess of Granthan in the “Downton Abbey” television series and had a career in stage, film, and television that spanned decades.

She was Professor Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” movies. She won two Oscars, one for best actress in “Jean Brodie” and one for best supporting actress in “California Suite” in 1978.

She also won a British Academy (BAFTA) Award for her work in “Brodie Jean.”

Smith was considered one of the preeminent British actors of her generation with Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench.

–City News Service