Daniel Radcliffe has penned a touching tribute to his former Harry Potter co-star Dame Maggie Smith, who has passed away at the age of 89.
Radcliffe portrayed the young wizard in eight films between 2001 and 2011, while Smith appeared in all but one installment as Professor Minerva McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and deputy headmistress of Hogwarts under Albus Dumbledore.
In a statement (via Variety), Radcliffe recalled: “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.
“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 was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films.”
Radcliffe described her as having “a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny.
“I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around 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.”
Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley in the film series, also honored the “revered head of Gryffindor house.”
“Our dearly loved and revered head of Gryffindor house, you will be so missed by the Harry Potter community,” wrote Wright on Instagram.
“My favorite scene with Maggie was when we were all learning to dance for the Yule Ball. She embodied that perfect balance of sass and loving care that McGonagall has. She kept Gryffindors on their toes. My deepest condolences to Maggie’s family at this time.”
Numerous other figures have shared their tributes and memories of Smith, including King Charles III, Prime Minister Kier Starmer, and her Sister Act co-star Whoopi Goldberg.