Harry Potter Actress Maggie Smith Dies At 89

Her remarkable career spanned over six decades, earning her two Academy Awards, four Emmy Awards and a reputation as one of the finest talents in film and television history . She won her first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1970 for her portrayal of a strong-willed schoolmistress in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie . Smith was widely recognised for her sharp-witted performance as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, in the series Downton Abbey .