British actress Dame Maggie Smith, known for her prolific career in roles like Professor McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" series and Violet Crawley in "Downton Abbey," has died, her family confirmed to CBS News. She was 89.
Smith passed away peacefully in the hospital early Friday morning, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said in a statement via publicist Clair Dobbs.
"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," the statement said.
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Lucia Suarez Sang is an associate managing editor at CBSNews.com. Previously, Lucia was the director of digital content at FOX61 News in Connecticut and has previously written for outlets including FoxNews.com, Fox News Latino and the Rutland Herald.