Dame Maggie Smith’s son has spoken up about their terrible final moments together before she died.

The consummate icon of theater and cinema died on September 27, last year, at the age of 89. Smith was most recognized for her role as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, as well as appearances in Downton Abbey, Sister Act, and The Lady in the Van.

With an eight-decade career, Dame Maggie received condolences from co-stars, politicians, and royalty when her death was revealed, and her sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, stated that she “went away quietly.”

“She was an extraordinarily private lady who died surrounded by friends and relatives. “She leaves two sons and five adoring grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” they said in a statement.

Toby has claimed that despite his mother’s encouragement to go away for filming, he was unable to make it to the hospital in time to see her.

Speaking to The Sunday Times over the weekend (16 February), he described their final moments together: “She was in the hospital. The previous two years of her life had been a disappointment, but she was on her way out.

“She would worsen, then improve, and then worsen again. So I said, ‘Look, I’ve got this film,’ and she replied, ‘Go do it. “God, you don’t want to hang around here; I’m fine.”

The actress died only one day before her son concluded filming the forthcoming New Zealand horror flick Marmara. However, her eldest son, Chris, was able to accompany her at the time.

Toby also stated that he was saddened not to be able to support him.

“I was so sad not to be with him; I found that very difficult,” he said. “But she was no longer aware—and it allowed me some space to actually get my head around what had happened.”

Toby made his film debut in Orlando in 1992, and since then he’s played Bond villain Gustav Graves in 2002’s Die Another Day, Captain Flint in Black Sails, and Poseidon in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

He also expressed how moved he had been by the response to his mother’s passing.

“What really piqued my interest was the fact that it is uncommon to have actors that are popular with everyone. And she’d spent her entire life not thinking of herself in that way, which is extremely winning,” he said.

“If she had thought of herself that way, it would have been horrifying. But she was not like that at all. She knew who she was and believed in herself. Like most actresses, she struggled with self-doubt.