EMMA Watson has paid a heartfelt tribute to Dame Maggie Smith who passed away yesterday. The Hermione Granger actor, 34, broke her silence with a snap of herself and Maggie behind the scenes. In the photo, Maggie, who died aged 89, gently held Emma's face in a tender moment.
The beloved actress played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the blockbuster film franchise. Crew and other cast members smiled at the two women as they took a break from filming a scene from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2. "When I was younger I had no idea of Maggie's legend - the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with," Emma wrote.
"It is only as I've become an adult that I've come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness. 'She was real, honest, funny and self-honouring. Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God you held your own.
"Thank you for all of your kindness. I'll miss you," she added. Maggie passed away "peacefully" inside a hospital on September 27.
Maggie was also well-known for bringing her scathing wit to other roles, including as Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. Her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said she died in hospital early this morning. In a statement issued via their publicist , they said: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.
"She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday September 27. "An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at .