Inside Dame Maggie Smith’s health battles: From ‘ghastly’ Graves’ disease to braving cancer

SUSSEX, ENGLAND: Legendary actress Dame Maggie Smith battled a long health battle, from a cancer that "knocked her sideways" to a condition that put her in a "fog of despair".

Oscar, Emmy and Tony-winning actress Maggie Smith, known for her work in 'Downton Abbey' and the 'Harry Potter' film series, died at the age of 89.

Smith's sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin confirmed the news in a statement issued through publicist Clair Dobbs on Friday, September 27, as per People.

Although Smith's cause of death is unknown, she shared information about her health throughout her 60-year career, including that she had been diagnosed with Graves' disease and breast cancer.

Dame Maggie Smith's 'hideous' health struggles after being diagnosed with breast cancer

Maggie Smith previously talked opened up about her health struggles, describing feelings like "a fog of despair". She received several diagnoses over the years, including thyroid eye illness, breast cancer, and Graves' disease.

The legendary actress received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2009 when she was filming 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', the sixth installment in the 'Harry Potter' series, but she eventually made a full recovery, as per The Sun.

Smith—who gained popularity and love for her portrayal of Professor McGonagall in the 'Harry Potter' films—revealed her breast cancer battle "knocked her sideways," per Daily Express.

"It kind of takes the wind out of your sails, and I don’t know what the future holds, if anything. I don’t think there’s a lot of it, because of my age — there just isn’t. It’s all been. I’ve no idea what there will be," she said at the time.

She initially felt unconcerned about the lump she felt in her breast. "I had been feeling a little rum. I didn’t think it was anything serious because years ago I felt a lump and it was benign. I assumed this would be too," Smith previously said to The Times.

Smith received chemotherapy and radiation treatments for two years. She added the treatment felt worse than cancer and referred to it as "hideous."

She said, "You feel horribly sick. I was holding on to railings, thinking, ‘I can’t do this.’"

Smith described her treatment, claiming that the chemotherapy left her "hairless" and "horribly sick."

The actress had a difficult journey to fully recover from the cancer.

As per TODAY, she talked about how her diagnosis and course of treatment had shaken her.

She said, "I think it’s the age I was when it happened. It knocks you sideways. It takes you longer to recover, you are not so resilient. I am fearful of the amount of energy one needs to be in a film or a play."

Dame Maggie Smith experienced 'fog of despair' when diagnosed with Graves’ disease

Dame Maggie Smith previously battled Graves' disease, an autoimmune condition that can cause major health issues, such as heart failure. She experienced serious health issues as a result of this illness, which causes an excess of thyroid hormones.

Smith was diagnosed with Graves' disease in 1988, just as her career in the Tony-nominated production 'Lettice and Lovage' was getting started.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Graves' disease is a condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland for no apparent cause. Hyperthyroidism is a disorder where the thyroid gland produces excessive thyroid hormone.

The symptoms include fatigue, tremors, irritability, heart palpitations, skin discoloration, and a change in eye shape, which Smith first noticed when she was 54 years old.

In an interview with The New York Times, the actress talked about the concerning symptoms she saw as her eyelids swelled to the point of being extremely uncomfortable. She claimed that these symptoms culminated in an "absolutely frightening" appearance.

Smith explained to The New York Times, "It’s been kind of like a fog of despair, really. It was ghastly having a broken arm; ghastly with the play, letting everybody down; and on top of that, I looked absolutely frightening, and didn’t know which way to turn."

Smith struggled through a difficult period when she had radiotherapy and corrective eye surgery as part of her rigorous treatments for Graves' disease. It was reported that she recovered in isolation for a full year.

Dame Maggie Smith's other health struggles before she died at 89

Dame Maggie Smith admitted in a 2016 interview with The Telegraph that her vision was compromised despite not disclosing precisely when she was diagnosed with glaucoma.

"Forgive me for looking at you like this. It’s because I’m blind in one eye, not being furtive," she told the interviewer at the time.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Smith was recovering from hip replacement surgery in 2016, which prevented her from attending the Golden Globe Awards, where she was nominated for her role in 'The Lady in the Van'.

Smith remarked at the time, "I feel so much better, but you can’t sit that long in the airplane."

Maggie Smith, who died at the age of 89, gained recognition in 1969 for her role in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie', which earned her the first-ever Oscar.

Her renowned portrayal as Professor McGonagall in the 'Harry Potter' series cemented her as one of the UK's greatest national treasures.