'Downton Abbey' colleagues, fellow actors mourn death of Maggie Smith

Actors, collaborators and fans who worked with Maggie Smith are paying tribute to the award-winning actor, known for her roles successful the "Harry Potter" movies and "Downton Abbey." She died Friday astatine 89.

"It's a precise bittersweet time for the full civilization of theatre and cinema successful England. … She was 1 of the top actresses of the past century, without a doubt," — histrion Helen Mirren said successful an interrogation with The Associated Press.

"Anyone who ever shared a country with Maggie volition attest to her crisp eye, crisp wit and formidable talent. She was a existent fable of her procreation and thankfully volition unrecorded connected successful truthful galore magnificent surface performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family," — histrion Hugh Bonneville, who starred alongside Smith successful "Downton Abbey," said successful a connection to the AP.

"Maggie Smith was a genuinely large histrion and we were much than fortunate to beryllium portion of the past enactment successful her stellar career. She was a joyousness to constitute for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, comic and heartbreaking. Working with her has been the top privilege of my career, and I volition ne'er hide her," — Julian Fellowes, who created, wrote and produced "Downton Abbey," said successful a connection to the AP.

"The archetypal clip I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old, and we were speechmaking done scenes for 'David Copperfield,' which was my archetypal job. I knew virtually thing astir her different than that my parents were awestruck astatine the information that I would beryllium moving with her. The different happening I knew astir her was that she was a Dame, truthful the archetypal happening I asked her erstwhile we met was 'Would you similar maine to telephone you Dame?' astatine which she laughed and said thing to the effect of 'Don't beryllium ridiculous!' I retrieve feeling tense to conscionable her and past her putting maine instantly astatine ease. She was incredibly benignant to maine connected that shoot, and past I was fortunate capable to spell connected moving with her for different 10 years connected the Harry Potter films.

"She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously crisp tongue, could intimidate and charm successful the aforesaid instant and was, arsenic everyone volition archer you, highly funny. I volition ever see myself amazingly fortunate to person been capable to enactment with her, and to walk clip astir her connected set. The connection fable is overused but if it applies to anyone successful our manufacture past it applies to her. Thank you Maggie," — histrion Daniel Radcliffe, prima of the "Harry Potter" franchise, said successful a connection to the AP.

"Maggie Smith was a large pistillate and a superb actress. I inactive can't judge I was fortunate capable to enactment with the 'one-of-a-kind.' My heartfelt condolences spell retired to the family…RIP," — histrion Whoopi Goldberg, who starred successful "Sister Act" with Smith, posted connected Instagram.

"She's fixed truthful overmuch to the world. There's ne'er been anyone similar Maggie. There's ne'er been anyone who followed the bushed of her ain drum arsenic overmuch arsenic she has done, arsenic a idiosyncratic and an actor," — histrion Saoirse Ronan said successful an interrogation with the AP.

"My woman and I were profoundly saddened to larn of the decease of Dame Maggie Smith. As the curtain comes down connected a nationalist treasure, we tin articulation each those astir the satellite successful remembering with fondest admiration and affection her galore large performances and her warmth and wit that shone done some connected signifier and off." — King Charles III, posted connected Instagram.

"Dame Maggie Smith introduced america to caller worlds with the countless stories she acted implicit her agelong career. She was beloved by truthful galore for her large talent, becoming a existent nationalist treasure whose enactment volition beryllium cherished for generations to come. Our thoughts are with her household and loved ones. May she remainder successful peace," — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, posted connected X, formerly Twitter.

"Maggie Smith was the wittiest pistillate I ever met successful my life. Some of the precise comic things she said you would not beryllium capable to print. I regret she wasn't successful much of my films," — filmmaker James Ivory, who directed Smith successful "Quartet" and "A Room with a View," said successful a connection to the AP.

"I had the unforgettable acquisition of moving with her; sharing a two-shot was similar being paired with a lion. She could devour anyone alive, and often did. But funny, and large company. And suffered nary fools. We volition ne'er spot another," — histrion Rob Lowe, posted connected X.