I first became aware of Maggie in 1964, when I was 15 years old, and my mother had taken me to see Othello with Laurence Olivier, in a desperate attempt to inject some culture into me.

The star of screen and stage, who died in hospital on Friday aged 89, portrayed Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in the hit ITV drama.

Lord Julian Fellowes, who first worked with Dame Maggie Smith on the Oscar-winning period drama Gosford Park, recalled the "extraordinary precision" she had in her work

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has said Maggie Smith was a "blessing in my life" as he recalled her wit and kindness to younger performers on set.

"We were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career," Julian Fellowes said in a statement.

Downton Abbey” creator and writer Julian Fellowes has paid tribute to the late Maggie Smith, who passed away on Friday at the age of 89. While the most famous collaboration between Smith and Fellowes may have been on the plush,