Actress Maggie Smith died on Friday, September 27, 2024, exactly one year to the day following the death of actor Michael Gambon, her “Harry Potter” co-star.
Smith played the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” series while Gambon played Professor Albus Dumbledore (in the third movie onward).
In the books, written by J.K. Rowling, and the films, distributed by Warner Bros., McGonagall and Dumbledore had a very special relationship. Dumbledore was the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while McGonagall served as Head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress.
Smith, who played Violet Crawley on “Downton Abbey,” also starred in the 2023 Hallmark movie, “The Miracle Club.” She was 89 years old at the time of her death.
Michael Gambon Died Following a ‘Bout of Pneumonia’ & Maggie Smith’s Cause of Death Is Unknown
Gambon died on September 27, 2023, after he was diagnosed with pneumonia, his publicist told the Associated Press.
“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside,” his family said in a statement at the time. He was 82 years old.
Meanwhile, Smith’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed. The actress was at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, England, at the time of her death, according to a statement from her two sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin (via People magazine).
“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,” Smith’s publicist said in a statement given to People.
In a touching tribute, actor Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter in the “Potter” series, remembered Smith as having “a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny,” per People magazine.
“I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set,” he continued, adding that Smith was a “legend.”
‘Harry Potter’ Fans Took to Reddit to React to Maggie Smith’s Death & Some Mentioned the Coincidence of the Date
Hundreds of fans flocked to the “Harry Potter” subreddit to react to the news of Smith’s death. Quite a few mentioned the fact that Smith died on the 1-year anniversary of Gambon’s death.
“Maggie Smith died a year after Michael Gambon. Eerie. Wands up for McGonagall and Dumbledore,” one person wrote.
“I just realized that Michael Gambon passed away exactly one year ago. The 27th is a cursed day,” someone else added.
“A year to the day Michael Gambon died too. This is too tragic. RIP,” a third comment read.
“Exactly one year after Michael Gambon, I am devastated,” a fourth Redditor said.
Other Redditors made note of which beloved Hogwarts professors are still alive. They are Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Miriam Margolyes (Professor Sprout), Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney), and Jim Broadbent (Professor Slughorn).
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