'A True Legend': Maggie Smith's Downton Abbey Costars Pay Tribute to 'Formidable' Actress Following Her Death

The cast of Downton Abbey is paying tribute to Dame Maggie Smith in the wake of her death at age 89.

Smith's sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said in a statement via publicist Clair Dobbs that the actress "passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September."

"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," the statement added.

Tributes have begun pouring in for the actress, who played Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham for all six seasons of the PBS series.

Michelle Dockery, who played Lady Mary Crawley, said in a statement to PEOPLE, "There was no one quite like Maggie. I feel tremendously lucky to have known such a maverick. She will be deeply missed and my thoughts are with her family."

Hugh Bonneville, who played the actress' son on the show, Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, told PEOPLE in a statement, “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent."

"She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wide -

‘It’s Not a Weight on the Sh,...

r family," Bonneville, 60, concluded his statement.

Smith starred in the PBS series from 2010 until its conclusion in 2015, as well as the two spinoff films about the characters, 2019's Downton Abbey and 2022's Downton Abbey: A New Era.

She was nominated at the Emmys five times for best supporting actress, and won in 2011, 2012 and 2016.

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A third film was confirmed in May 2024, though Smith was never confirmed to participate. It will be the final film in the franchise, as Imelda Staunton confirmed in an interview with BBC Radio 2 in March. Paul Giamatti, who was in one episode of the PBS series, is confirmed to reprise his role as Cara Grantham's brother Harold Levinson.

Giamatti, 57, also paid tribute to Smith in the wake of her passing, saying in a statement shared with PEOPLE that "she was a genius and a delight."

"A privilege to be around her. The kind of actor who makes you proud to be an actor," he added. "And I’ll never forget how sweet she was to my 12-year-old son when he visited set."

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