For most of her career Maggie Smith was a member of an elite but familiar workforce, the finely trained performers bringing British acting traditions to the stage and screen. Then, in her mid-70s, and with two Academy Awards and a role in the “Harry Potter” movies to her name already,

Helen Mirren is remembering Maggie Smith as "an icon" whose Hollywood success was matched by her accomplishments in theater: "The real magic of Maggie was on stage."

Maggie Smith, who died on Sept. 27, was world-renowned for bringing to life characters in “Downton Abbey” and the Harry Potter films. With a shelf full of awards, she was a monolith of British acting in a generation that includes Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench.

Beloved British actor Maggie Smith, who stole hearts in her portrayal of Downton Abbey’s Violet Crawley and Harry Potter’s Professor Minerva McGonagall, died on the morning of Friday, Sept. 27, at the age of 89.

Millennials best knew and loved Maggie Smith for the sharp-witted characters she played in the Harry Potter films, Hook, and Downton Abbey