Shortly after the death of iconic actress Maggie Smith, Daniel Radcliffe took the time to honor the late “Harry Potter” co-star, who died Friday at the age of 89.

The two actors were veterans of the magical film franchise, as Radcliffe starred in all eight films, while Smith appeared in every ‘Harry Potter’ film except ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1’ which played Professor Minerva McGonagall. , the head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress at Hogwarts under Albus Dumbledore.

Radcliffe described his late co-star and the Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” as “a fierce intellect” and remembered her as a “legend” in a statement shared with Variety.

“The first time I met Maggie Smith, I was 9 years old and we were reading scenes for ‘David Copperfield,’ which was my first job. I knew virtually nothing about her except that my parents were impressed that I would be working with her,” Radcliffe recalled. ‘The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Lady, so the first thing I asked her when we met was, ‘Do you want me to call you Lady?’ whereupon she laughed and said something to the effect of ‘don’t be ridiculous!’”

“I remember being nervous to meet her and she immediately put me at ease,” he continued. “She was incredibly kind to me during that shoot, and after that I was fortunate enough to continue working with her for another ten years on the ‘Harry Potter’ films.”

“She had a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm at the same time and was, as anyone will tell you, extremely funny,” Radcliffe, 35, added. “I will always consider myself incredibly lucky to have been able to work with her and spend time with her on set. The word legend is overused, but if it applies to anyone in our industry, it applies to her. Thanks Maggie.”

Smith’s role in ‘Harry Potter’ began with 2001’s ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’. This was followed by a succession of sequels, during which Smith’s role lasted for a decade, making her a recognizable face among the younger generation of ‘Harry Potter’ fans .

As previously reported, Smith’s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, announced the sad news in a statement that Smith passed away early Friday in a London hospital.

“It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital this morning, Friday 27 September. She was an intensely private person and was with friends and family at the end. She is survived by two sons and five loving grandchildren, who are devastated by the loss of their special mother and grandmother,” the statement said.