Radcliffe, famed for his titular role in the Harry Potter movie franchise that also starred Smith, recounted the first moment he mether as a young boy.
“The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 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,” said Radcliffe in the written statement.
“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. She 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,” Radcliffe added.
King Charles III, Whoopi Goldberg and UK prime minister Keir Starmer also expressed tributes to the beloved actor.
Widely famed for her work in the Harry Potter films and Downtown Abbey, Smith’s other notable roles include The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) and The Lady in the Van (2015).
Smith is survived by two sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, who she had with her late ex-husband and actor Robert Stephens. Her children are also actors in Hollywood.
