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Last week, we lost a performer of a generation.

Actress Dame Maggie Smith passed away on Friday, Sept. 27, at the age of 89. A formidable presence and a true trailblazer, Smith stole every scene she was in and left much behind to be admired.

Smith’s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement to BBC that she died peacefully on Friday in a London hospital: “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.”

Many mourn her loss; Smith touched many lives and was frequently rated the preeminent British female generational performer.

Prominent members of British society have paid tribute to the legendary actress. King Charles described her as a “national treasure,” Prime Minister Sir Keir Star noted she was “beloved by so many for her great talent.”

Her seven-decade career on stage and onscreen left quite a legacy.

Smith’s list of honors and awards is impressive, to say the least. She has won two Oscars, four Emmys and a Tony for her many roles, according to Vanity Fair.

She began her career in 1952 as Viola in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” making her Broadway debut in 1956 and playing several roles in “New Faces of 1956.” She began as an aspiring star, making her way as a household name.

Smith never failed to astound audiences. Throughout her career, she changed the meaning of aging in Hollywood and helped redefine what it means to grow old and become famous later in life.

One of her most famous roles was as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” saga. In eight films, Smith embodied the role of a strict but caring professor guiding her students through their magical education.

A fierce inspiration and a true legend, she worked her way into our hearts, becoming an immense presence to a younger generation, myself included.

“Harry Potter” co-stars paid tribute to the former Head of Gryffindor House. Her favorite students commemorated her presence across social media, not realizing then how lucky they were as kids to share the screen with the legend that is Maggie Smith.

“Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe remembered her “fierce intellect” and “gloriously sharp tongue.”

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, fondly acknowledged, “I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness.”

Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, shared that he is “heartbroken” but “incredibly lucky to share the set and particularly lucky to have shared a dance.”

Smith truly made an impact on all who worked with her.

Unfortunately, this is not the first loss the “Harry Potter” franchise has experienced. Smith’s death is precisely one year after her co-star, Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore, died at 82 in September 2023.

In her legendary roles, Smith found her specialty in playing older matriarchs. She holds audiences in the palm of her hands with her poignancy and quick wit with iconic scenes and lines.

Every time she was on screen, my eyes were glued to the scene. She always had a way of putting everyone in their places with her sharp tongue.

She was known to be challenging to work with, impatient at times and sometimes upstaging others, according to AP News.

“It’s true I don’t tolerate fools, but then they don’t tolerate me, so I am spiky,” Smith said. “Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.”

Her second most notable role as she worked well into her 80s was the “Downton Abbey” series. Smith played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, the grand matriarch able to conquer anyone with withering one-liners. She immediately became a fan favorite.

The creator and writer of “Downton Abbey,” Julian Fellows, told Variety, “Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career, and I will never forget her.”

A beloved and unique presence in the entertainment world, Smith’s one-of-a-kind talent is featured in everything she’s in; there is no one quite like her.