Daniel Radcliffe leads Harry Potter stars remembering Maggie Smith

Dame Maggie won over Potter fans as kind and formidable Professor McGonagall.

Daniel Radcliffe leads Harry Potter co-stars remembering Dame Maggie Smith (Ian West/PA) (PA Archive)

Daniel Radcliffe has remembered Harry Potter star Dame Maggie Smith as a “fierce intellect” with a “gloriously sharp tongue” as he led tributes from fellow stars of the fantasy film series.

Dame Maggie won over Harry Potter fans later in life when she appeared as the quick-witted, kind but formidable Professor McGonagall, sharing the screen with Radcliffe in seven of the eight instalments.

Her role began in 2001’s Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone and lasted a decade.

Radcliffe said in a statement to the PA news agency: “The first time I met Maggie Smith I was nine 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.”

Radcliffe said Dame Maggie 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”.

He continued: “She was 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.”

Harry Potter author JK Rowling also remembered the 89-year-old actress.

“Somehow I thought she’d live forever. RIP Dame Maggie Smith,” she wrote on X.

Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman, who played Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius Black in several of the films, described Dame Maggie as the kind of talent that “comes along about every other generation”.

“Maggie Smith, one of the true greats along with (Laurence) Olivier and (John) Gielgud,” Oldman said in a statement to PA.

“Those who saw her dazzling talent on the stage say they can never forget her. Her magnificent film performances remain for all to see and enjoy.

“Such an artist comes along about every other generation. If one is lucky.”

Another Harry Potter star, Bonnie Wright, who played Ron Weasley’s younger sister Ginny, described the impact of the loss of “our dearly loved and revered head of Gryffindor house”.

In a post on Instagram, she wrote: “My favourite 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.”

Wright added that Dame Maggie would be “missed by the Harry Potter community”.