Emma Watson broke her silence on the death of her Harry Potter co-star, Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away at the age of 89 on Friday. Emma shared a moving tribute to Dame Maggie on her Instagram stories. The Downtown Abbey actress passed away in a hospital on Friday morning, prompting a flood of tributes as celebrities and fans mourned the heartbreaking loss.
The 34-year-old actress posted a behind-the-scenes photo which featured the actress herself along with Dame from the set 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 to share space with," Watson 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.
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The Beauty and the Beast star highlighted Smith's strength as one of the few women in the films' adult ensemble. "She was real, honest, funny and self-honouring," Watson wrote. "Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God you held your own."
The actress concluded her remarks with gratitude. "Thank you for all of your kindness," she wrote. "I'll miss you."
Smith appeared alongside Watson in each of the eight blockbuster Harry Potter films between 2000 and 2011. Smith portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall, who taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was deputy headmistress of the school, and was the head of Gryffindor House.
During a past interview on The Late Show With David Letterman, Emma Watson opened up about the advice she received from Smith at the start of her career, according to Elle.
She admitted feeling 'nervous' watching herself on screen, especially in the 'early Harry Potter films.'
'I would get very nervous, and twist myself up in my seat like a pretzel and bite my nails, and everything.'
Then - I'm pretty sure Maggie Smith said this to me, it was 10 years ago, so sometimes I struggle remembering...'
'But she basically said, "How do you expect to get better if you don't watch your performances?" and I said "Well, that's a good point."'
Emma continued, 'Yeah, she basically just told me to get a grip, and since then I've watched my performances.'
Related: Related: Why Emma Watson Secretly Hated Filming This Hermione Scene