Actress Maggie Smith died “peacefully” Sept. 27, and Hollywood did not hesitate with tributes.
Daniel Radcliffe, Smith’s “Harry Potter” co-star, issued a statement honoring the star, who portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House, in the franchise.
“The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old and we were reading through scenes for ‘David Copperfield,’ which was my first job. I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her,” Radcliffe said in a statement to Variety.
Maggie Smith was in the film and television industry for 60 years. (John Hayes/Jenny Lewis)
“The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was ‘would you like me to call you Dame?’ at which she laughed and said something to the effect of ‘don’t be ridiculous!’ I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease. She…