Toni Collette has shared a moving tribute to Dame Maggie Smith following the death of the legendary actress at the age of 89.
The British Downton Abbey star died in hospital on Friday morning after an incredible 70-year acting career, her family confirmed.
Actress Toni, 51, led the Australian stars in paying tribute to Dame Maggie as she took to Instagram to share some heartfelt words.
The Hereditary star described the esteemed actress as a “force” as she shared her devastation in an emotional post alongside a photo of Maggie.
‘Maggie Smith has left us. “OMG, she was a force,” Toni wrote alongside love hearts, praying hands, and star emojis.
He also shared more photos of Dame Maggie and interviews from over the years as he remembered the Downtown Abbey actress.
Australian model Simone Holtznagel also took to her Instagram to share a snap of Dame Maggie posing for a Loewe fashion campaign, in what would end up being her last photograph.
Dame Maggie was named the face of the luxury Spanish fashion house in October 2023 and delighted her fans by modeling for the brand in a stylish photo shoot.
Toni Collette (pictured July 2023) has shared a moving tribute to Dame Maggie Smith following the death of the legendary actress at the age of 89.
The British Downton Abbey star (pictured in February 2015) died in hospital on Friday morning after an incredible 70-year acting career, her family confirmed.
Simone, who has modeled for magazines including Peter Alexander, Cotton On and Grazia, aptly recalled the fashion shoot in her tribute to Dame Maggie.
Dame Maggie died aged 89 on Friday with her sons Chris Larkin and Die Another Day star Toby Stephen, announcing her death in a statement.
Her children shared: ‘It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. Passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.
“He is an intensely private person, in the end he was with friends and family. She leaves behind two children and five beloved grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their endless care and kindness during his final days.
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Born in Ilford, Essex, on December 28, 1934, she was an internationally recognized actress for much of her life after playing fanatic teacher Jean Brodie in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.
She also won over Harry Potter fans later in life, when she appeared in the film series as the witty, kind and formidable Professor McGonagall.
And in 2010 she was instrumental in the success of the ITV series Downton Abbey, in her Emmy Award-winning role as the acerbic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, which she continued to play in films.
Actress Toni, 51, led the Australian stars in paying tribute to Dame Maggie as she shared some heartfelt words on Instagram (pictured).
Australian model Simone Holtznagel (pictured in November 2023) also took to her Instagram to pay tribute, sharing a snap of Dame Maggie posing for a Loewe fashion campaign.
Her career spanning more than half a century earned her recognition almost from the start, and she received an early Bafta nomination for Promising Newcomer in 1959 for the crime film Nowhere To Go.
This was followed by Bafta nominations for Young Cassidy in 1966, Death On The Nile in 1979, California Suite in 1980, Quartet in 1982, The Secret Garden in 1994, Tea With Mussolini in 2000, Gosford Park in 2002 and The Lady In The . 2016 van.
She also won best actress for The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, A Private Function and The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearne.
Her final roles included The Miracle Club, which follows a group of Dublin women who go on a pilgrimage to the French city of Lourdes, and 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era, in which Violet dies.
Among the first to pay tribute was her friend Gyles Brandreth, who said: ‘The saddest news – the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era and quite an extraordinary life.
“She was a truly great actress, ‘one of the greats’ and simply the best company: wise, witty, biting, wonderful.” Unique in every way and therefore irreplaceable.’
Meanwhile, Daniel Radcliffe paid tribute to the ‘legend’ as he reflected on his decade of working with her on all eight Harry Potter films in her lead role, and previously on David Copperfield when she was just nine years old.
Paying tribute to her on social media platform
‘I knew virtually nothing about her, other than that my parents were amazed by the fact that I would be working with her.
‘The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Lady, so the first thing I asked her when we met was “would you like me to call you Lady?” to which she laughed and said something like “don’t be ridiculous!”
‘I remember feeling nervous when I met her and then she immediately put me at ease. She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot and I was lucky enough to continue working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films.’
Daniel Radcliffe paid tribute to the ‘legend’ as he recalled working with her on all eight Harry Potter films (both in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).
He spoke of her “fierce intellect” and “gloriously sharp tongue” and said that she “could intimidate and charm at the same instant and was, as everyone will say, extremely funny.”
He added: “I will always consider myself incredibly lucky to have been able to work with her and spend time with her on set. The word legend is overused, but if it applies to anyone in our industry, then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie .’
Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter franchise, He also updated his Instagram profile photo with a sweet memory of himself and Maggie to pay tribute to her.
Meanwhile, author JK Rowling paid tribute to Dame Maggie with a social media post that simply said: “Somehow I thought she would live forever.” RIP, Lady Maggie Smith.’
