The King and the Prime Minister paid tribute to the national treasure

Dame Maggie Smith, best known for the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey, has been remembered as a “true legend” of acting following her death aged 89.

Tributes were paid to the King and Prime Minister and many of his co-stars during his long career.

King Charles described her as “a national treasure”, while Sir Keir Starmer said she was “loved by many for her great talent”.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe fondly remembers her “sharp wit” and “gloriously sharp tongue”.

Miriam Margolis called her “the best of the best” who combined “frenziness, the sparkle of mischief, joy and tenderness”.

“And enormous courage. I was in awe of her, as were all her colleagues,” Margolis told BBC News.

“I saw what a kind person she could be — as well as being absolutely terrifying.”

Dame Maggie became known for her sharp tongue on and off screen in a varied and acclaimed career spanning eight decades.

In the Harry Potter films, she played the acerbic Professor Minerva McGonagall, famous for her pointed witch’s hat and stern demeanor with the young wizards at Hogwarts.

Paying tribute, Radcliffe said: “She was fiercely intelligent, famously sharp-tongued, able to intimidate and charm at the same time and, as everyone will tell you, very funny.

“I will always feel lucky to be able to work with her and spend time around her on set.

“The word legend is overused, but if it applies to anyone in our industry it applies to her. Thanks Maggie.”

In the hit ITV drama Downton Abbey, she played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grandham, excelling in wading one-liners through the show’s six series.

Elsewhere in his life, She won two Oscars – Miss Jean Brody’s Prime in 1970 and California Suit in 1979.

He received four nominations and won seven BAFTA awards.

In a statement, the King and Queen said: “As the curtain comes down on a national treasure, we join everyone around the world in celebrating her many outstanding performances and her warmth and intelligence, both off and on stage.”

The Prime Minister acknowledged that Dame Maggie was “a true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come”.

He introduced us to new worlds through the countless stories he played in his long career, Sir Keir said.

Hugh Bonneville, who played the Earl of Grant in Downton Abbey, said: “Anyone who has shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent.

“He is a true legend of his generation and will hopefully live on in many wonderful screen performances.”

Dame Maggie reprized her role for two Downton Abbey films. In 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era, her character died of an illness she revealed at the end of the 2019 film.

He excelled in comedy and drama, co-star Dame Harriet Walter told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme.

“She’s a real comedian, but I’ve seen her play some incredibly heartfelt, deep, tragic roles, which is a huge range for an actress like her,” he said.

“If she had been funny or sad, she wouldn’t have made that impression.”

Michelle Dockery, who played Dame Maggie’s on-screen granddaughter Lady Mary Crawley, told the BBC: “There’s nobody like Maggie.

“I feel very fortunate to have known such a hero. She will be greatly missed and my thoughts are with her family.”

Leslie Nicholl, who played Downton Abbey’s cook Mrs Padmore, told BBC Radio Ulster: “It’s a very close-knit group of people, so we’re all devastated to think she’s not around yet.”

Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes told Variety She was “a joy to write nuanced, multi-layered, intelligent, funny and heartbreaking”.

Following the success of the 2002 period drama Gosford Park, Downton earned Dame Maggie Oscar and BAFTA nominations for her role as the Dowager Countess of Trentham.

Dame Christine Scott-Thomas, who starred alongside Dame Maggie in Gosford Park, said she “took acting very seriously but saw through the silliness and the rascals”.

“She really didn’t want to deal with it,” Dame Christine added.

“She had a sense of humor and a wit that would make me burst out laughing. And she had no patience for fools. So you had to be a little careful. I absolutely adored her.

“When I last saw her, she was old. ‘Crazy’ I think she said. So loved, so admired and so irreplaceable.”

In a further tribute, a National Theater spokesman said his career “spanned unevenly across the worlds of theatre, film and television”.

Appreciating his stage performances, the statement continued: “He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest actors this country has ever witnessed.”

Bafta added that he was “a legend of the British stage and screen”.

His sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, who announced the news of his death with “deep sadness” on Friday, said: “He passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning.”

They said: “An intensely private person, he was close to friends and family at the end. He leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”

They thanked the “wonderful staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and immeasurable kindness during her final days”.

They added: “We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

Dame Maggie began her career in the 1950s She was nominated for her first Oscar in 1965 for her role as Desdemona in Shakespeare’s Othello opposite Laurence Olivier.

The actress’ other memorable roles include Merchant Ivory’s 1985 film A Room with a View, which earned her another Oscar nomination and a BAFTA.

She appeared in the 1999 film Tea With Mussolini as an Englishwoman living in 1930s Italy; and as the firm but fair Reverend Mother in two sister act films.

Sister Act co-star Whoopi Goldberg called Dame Magee “a great girl and a great actress,” adding: “I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with ‘one of a kind.’

Rob Lowe, who co-starred with Dame Maggie in 1993’s Suddenly, Last Summer, recalled “an unforgettable experience working with her”.

“Sharing two shots is like pairing with a lion,” he said.

“She’ll eat anybody alive, and often. But fun and great company. And enjoys no fools.

“We shall see no other. God speed, Mrs. Smith!”

The veteran actress starred in the 2015 film adaptation of the author’s The Lady in the Van as an elderly woman who lived in a van outside Alan Bennett’s home for 15 years.

Alex Jennings, who plays Bennett, told Radio 4 she was “fearless” and praised her “great technical skills as an actress”.