Dame Maggie Smith dies aged 89 – Fans startled by her final public appearance

Dame Maggie Smith dies aged 89 – Fans startled by her final public appearance

Dame Maggie Smith, Downtown Abbey and Harry Potter star, died aged 89, her family confirms.

A two time Oscar winner and a legend of the stage and screen, Smith was regarded one of the greatest actors of her time. She started her acting career on stage at the Oxford Playhouse and went on to make a name for herself and remained under the limelight for a stunning number of years.

The news of her sudden passing was shared by her two sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin.
“She died quietly this morning, Friday, September 27, in the hospital. A deeply private individual, she passed away surrounded by loved ones,” their joint statement read.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days,” it continued.

“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time,” Smith’s sons concluded.

Throughout her long and rich career, Smith appeared in feature films such as Sister Act, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and more recently Thaddeus O’Sullivan’s The Miracle Club.

Back in 2009, Smith disclosed with the public that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She opened up about receiving treatments and filming scenes as Professor Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the same time.

“I used to go to treatment on my own, and nearly everybody else was with somebody,” she told Tim Teeman. “I wouldn’t have liked that. Why would you want to make anybody sit in those places?”

She had also opened up about her own mortality. “I was relieved to be the age I was because by now you feel like it’s all over anyway.

“That’s why I hated seeing young people receiving treatment [at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London]. I couldn’t bear that, it didn’t seem fair. To be honest, you feel so ghastly you wouldn’t mind dying a lot of the time.”

Smith was married twice. Her second husband, screenwriter Beverley Cross, whom she considered the great love of her life, passed away in 1998, leaving her mourning his loss until her own passing.

She wasn’t known as someone who was spotted in public often, so her last public appearance left her fans startled.
It was at the Wimbledon men’s singles final that Smith was spotted in public. Dressed elegantly, in a navy blue shirtdress with a stylish dot pattern on it accessorized with a blue jacket and black leather heels, she stunned many.

The photos of her and her stunning choice of outfit, which she had completed with a pink lipstick, received plenty of comments. “So elegant!” one person commented. “You [look] so beautiful,” another added.

Following her passing, tributes came pouring in. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among the first to share his condolences, saying Smith “was beloved by so many for her great talent, becoming a true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come.”

Hugh Bonneville, fellow Downtown Abbey co-star, said: “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent.

“She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family.”

Smith’s passing represents an immense loss for the acting world. May she rest in peace.

He was one of the most famous stars of the 80s, who surprised the audience not only with his acting but also with his dancing

As a youth, he had a deep interest for flying, but he surprised both himself and others by pursuing a completely different career path.

He talked on the significance of his wife to him and grieved her passing twenty-eight years after they were married.

After a great deal of tragedy, he is content with his kids and his life right now.

The father of this young kid was a tire shop owner and semi-professional football player who grew up in New Jersey. The young man, however, had little interest in pursuing either as a career.

Rather, he had assumed he would work at the airport as a ticket agent or luggage handler, having developed an interest in the field when his high school offered an aviation program. He did not, however, wind up in the aircraft industry.

He now acknowledges that he has never been patient, claiming that he lacked patience as a youngster, a teenager, and an adult. He revealed:

“Tell me to do something else if I hit 25 and I’m not making a mark in this business,” was my type of man.

The young man chose to try acting, much like his mother had done, rather than following in his father’s footsteps or continuing his love of aviation, which he had discovered at the age of fifteen.

Travolta John Grieving Kelly Preston
The young guy in question is John Travolta, who made his Hollywood debut at the age of eighteen. Throughout his career, he starred in numerous hit films, including “Grease,” “Look Who’s Talking,” and “Saturday Night Fever.”

He met Kelly Preston, a fellow actor, during a screen test for a show called “The Experts,” and the two married during his career. Preston disclosed that she was unfaithful to her spouse during the time.

Preston and Travolta first crossed paths in 1989, and by 1991, Travolta had proposed to Preston. Nine months after Travolta’s proposal, the pair tied the knot and enjoyed a blissful 28-year marriage.

Sadly, Preston’s breast cancer death in 2020 marked the end of their love tale. Travolta, who was heartbroken by the passing, gave fans some advice and said:

“Letting someone experience their grief and not adding to it with your own is the most crucial thing you can do to support them during their time of mourning.”

He claimed that he was feeling constricted by the grief of others over his wife’s death and believed that it was imperative to find a private place to grieve.

These days, Travolta is all about making his kids’ lives better and being there for them as much as he can while they adjust to life without their mother. It is a loving parent he is.

How Does Travolta’s Life Currently Stand?
Two years after his wife’s death, Travolta spent Father’s Day with his kids this year. He posted a picture of himself on Facebook with his son, daughter, and dog curled up on the couch. He continued by wishing a happy Father’s Day to all of the “dedicated fathers.”

His admirers showered him with love and support in the comments, praising him as a fantastic father and expressing how nice it is to see him with his kids.

Travolta and Preston raised a lovely family, but they also suffered a great loss when their son passed away while on vacation in the Bahamas. Travolta is a fantastic parent to his two children right now, despite the sadness he has experienced throughout his life.