Last Friday, on September 27th, the world lost a legend. Dame Maggie Smith, best known for her role as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise, passed away from an unknown cause. She was 89 years old and had accomplished much in her lifetime. She brought a light like no other to the world, a beacon of talent and wit the world will likely never see again. She serves as an inspiration to many, and her name and legacy will continue to live on all over the world.

Maggie Smith started off her career on stage, acting as Viola in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”. She would go on to act in various other works, like “Othello” and “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”- for which she would receive an Academy Award. Her more memorable and iconic roles include Professor McGonagall in “Harry Potter”, Constance Trentham in “Gosford Park”, Violet Crawley in “Downton Abbey”, and Jean Brodie in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”. Her versatile career reveals her true expertise in the art of acting and shows that she deserved all the credit she got and more. Despite her fame, she remained humble throughout her entire life, and on multiple occasions expressed how she did not “feel like a star”. She had also been a supporter of many charities, raising money to support disaster relief in New Zealand, and joining a celebrity auction for Cats Protection. She has done much more, showing her dedication and care for both her art and the world.

Her legacy will continue to live on through her art, and she will forever be an iconic element of the acting industry. Maggie Smith’s movies provide comfort, hope, humor, thoughtfulness, and light to the world.