We lost yet another national treasure last week when it was announced that the beloved Dame Maggie Smith had passed away.
The beloved actress, who won two Oscars during her career for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1970 and California Suite in 1979, was most notably known for playing Professor McGonagall for 10 years in the Harry Potter film franchise,
Sadly, Smith joins a list of other legends from the Wizarding World who have now sadly passed away since the films were first released.
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Richard Harris (1930 - 2002)
Harris warmed the nation's hearts playing the role of Albus Dumbledore for the first two films of the series; Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), the latter of which was his final film role.
He sadly died in 2002 at the age of 72 after battling Hodgkin's Disease.
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Richard Griffiths OBE (1947 - 2013)
Griffiths portrayed Vernon Dursley in the film franchise between 2001 to 2010.
Like his fellow co-stars, the late actor boasted an impressive filmography outside of Harry Potter, playing Uncle Monty in Withnail and I and Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky.
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He died aged 65 at University Hospital Coventry in 2013 after complications following heart surgery.
Alan Rickman (1946 - 2016)
Rickman starred as fan favourite, Severus Snape, in all eight Harry Potter films.
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He also starred in several other box-office smashes including Love Actually, Die Hard and Sweeney Todd.
After suffering a minor stroke, which led to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, the Hollywood A-lister sadly died in London at the age of 69 in 2016.
John Hurt CBE (1940 - 2017)
Hurt was first introduced to viewers in the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), where he played Mr Ollivander, the wand-maker.
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In 2012, he was honoured with the BAFTA Award for outstanding British contribution to cinema and was also made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004. In 2015 he was named a knight bachelor.
In that same year, however, he was unfortunately diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he died in 2017 aged 77.
Verne Troyer (1969 - 2018)
Troyer portrayed (but did not voice) the character of Griphook, a goblin who worked at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Diagon Alley.
However, he was arguably best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers film series.
In 2018, the actor's death at 49 years old was ruled as being caused by alcohol intoxication, putting his blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.
His death was declared a suicide.
Helen McCrory OBE (1968 - 2021)
McCrory starred as Narcissa Malfoy in the films Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2 (2010 and 2011).
She made her professional stage debut in The Importance of Being Earnest in 1990. She was also well known for her role as Poly Gray in the hit Brit show, Peaky Blinders.
The renowned actress tragically died of breast cancer in 2021 aged 52.
Robbie Coltrane (1950 - 2022)
Possibly one of the most-loved characters in the entire series, Coltrane played Rubeus Hagrid.
He was first introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) as a half-giant who is the gamekeeper and groundskeeper at Hogwarts.
Following a career full of achievements and recognition, Coltrane sadly died of sepsis in 2022 aged 72 years old.
Leslie Phillips CBE (1924 - 2022)
Phillips was the voice for the iconic Sorting Hat, appearing in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and the second part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2011.
He first achieved notoriety back in the 1950s and become famous for his iconic 'Ding dong' and 'Hello' catchphrases before passing away in his sleep in 2022 at the grand age of 98.
Michael Gambon CBE (1940 - 2023)
Gambon was one of the most decorated actors in the UK with a six-decade-long career jam-packed with accolades, including three Olivier Awards and four BAFTA TV Awards.
He took over the role of Albus Dumbledore after Harris passed away in 2002.
Some two decades later and Gambon died in 2023 aged 82 following a bout of pneumonia.
Dame Maggie Smith (1934 - 2024)
Smith warmed the nation's hearts playing the beloved Professor Minerva McGonagall in all eight of the Harry Potter films.
Her death was announced last Friday (27 September) in a touching statement from her two sons.
She was a legend on both the stage and screen, with a decade-spanning career starring in countless smash-hits including Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, Sister Act and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
She died 'peacefully' aged 89.
Topics: Harry Potter, JK Rowling, TV And Film, Celebrity, Entertainment
Rhiannon Ingle