Beloved ‘Harry Potter’ actress Dame Maggie Smith dead at 89

Dame Maggie Smith, who played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” franchise, died on Friday, her family confirmed to BBC.

The actress was 89 years old.

“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, wrote in a statement.

“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September,” the siblings continued. “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.

“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” they added. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.”

The brothers concluded by thanking Smith’s fans for their “kind messages and support” while requesting “privacy at this time.”

Stephens and Larkin did not speak to their late mother’s cause of death.

The Oscar winner is best known for her role in the beloved franchise, kicking off with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in 2001.

By the time the series concluded with “Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows: Part 2” in 2011, Smith had become a “Downton Abbey” cast member.

She won three Emmys playing Victoria Crawley from 2010 to 2015.

Before these career-defining roles, Smith made a name for herself onstage, from the Oxford Playhouse to Broadway.

Smith, who performed with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company over the years, won one Tony Award and was nominated for two more.

This story is developing…