On Friday, Emma Watson paid tribute to her Harry Potter costar Maggie Smith after news broke that Smith had passed away at the age of 89. Watson shared a photo of them together on set in which Smith is embracing Watson.
Over the image, Watson wrote, “When I was younger I had no idea of Maggie’s legend—the woman I was fortunate to share space with. It is only as I’ve become an adult that I’ve come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness.”
She continued, “She was real, honest, funny and self-honoring. Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God you held your own.”
“Thank you for all of your kindness,” she concluded the message. “I’ll miss you.”
Smith was honored by many of her costars from her illustrious career, including the cast of Downton Abbey. Smith starred in the PBS series and subsequent films and won Emmys for her performance in 2011, 2012, and 2016.
Joanne Froggatt, who played Anna on the show, shared a picture of Smith on her timeline, writing in the caption, “It’s hard to find the words to pay tribute to the iconic Dame Maggie Smith. I shared a screen with her on very few occasions but was fortunate enough to be in her company on many.”
She continued, “She truly was a trailblazer, with the sharpest wit, the greatest talent, the naughtiest sense of humour, she was a force to be reckoned with. She had a charisma that you felt would live for ever (in many ways it will) and underneath all of that a huge heart.”
Dan Stevens, who played Matthew Crawley, shared pictures of Smith in his Instagram Stories, writing, “Truly one of The Greats. RIP.”
He also reposted this old clip of Smith on the show, in which she asks in character, “What is a weekend?”
The Downton Abbey’s Instagram page shared a photo of Smith to honor her, as well, writing, “A true British icon. Thank you for everything, Dame Maggie Smith.”
In a statement to People, the show’s creator Julian Fellowes said, “Maggie Smith was a truly great actress and we were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career. She was a joy to write for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, funny and heartbreaking. Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.