Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Michael Gambon will forever be more closely associated with their work in the “Harry Potter” films.
Perhaps best known for portraying Professor Minerva McGonagall and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in recent years, Smith and Gambon appeared in six of the eight Potter films.
Only the sheer success of the Wizarding franchise ensured that they would always be remembered in the same breath. But even the legendary actor is now forever linked to death.
Smith died on Friday, September 27, exactly one year after Gambon’s death. Smith was 89 years old. Gambon was 82 years old.
The news of Smith’s death was confirmed by his sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin. “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital in the early hours of Friday, September 27,” he said in a statement.
“An extremely 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.
Although Smith’s cause of death is unknown, she was open about her battles with Graves’ disease and breast cancer.
A year ago, it was Gambon’s “devastated” family that announced the death of their “beloved husband and father.”
A statement released at the time said Michael died peacefully of pneumonia at his bedside with his wife Anne and son Fergus by his side.
Gambon’s wife and son thanked Sir Michael’s fans for their “messages of support and love” during such a “painful time”.
Smith’s career was one for the ages. His work has spanned seven decades and earned him many honors, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
In addition to playing Staley Professor McGonagall, Smith was beloved for her portrayal of Grantham’s Dowager Countess, Violet Crawley, on the hit TV series “Downton Abbey.”
Apart from her Oscars, she also had memorable turns in many popular films like “Sister Act,” “Gosford Park” and “The First Wives Club,” to name a few.
He gained a reputation for being able to convey tenderness and seriousness with equal skill — an ability that attracted Christopher Columbus, who directed the first two “Harry Potter” films. Attracted him to be cast as the strong head of Gryffindor House.
“Someone who’s intimidated by you but someone who has a real sense of warmth and heart,” Columbus, 66, said in a clip from the early 2000s. Posted on YouTube. When explaining the “need” to play McGonagall.
“And that’s exactly what Maggie is,” she said. “And I thought, it’s perfect for McGonagall.”
Credit : nypost.com
