Danielle Radcliffe opens up about how he first met Harry Potter co-star Maggie Smith

Daniel Radcliffe and the late Maggie Smith had a special relationship that transcended their time on screen.

Smith died on September 27 at the age of 89, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens confirmed, calling her an “extraordinary mother and grandmother.”

As for Radcliffe, the Harry Potter star described the actor as a “legend” in his tribute following news of her death.

Radcliffe recalled first meeting and working with Smith, even before he took on the life-changing role of Harry Potter and Smith, becoming the beloved Professor Minerva McGonagall.

“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,” Radcliffe said in a statement to Variety.

“I knew virtually nothing about her, except that my parents were impressed by the fact that I would be working with her. The other thing I knew about her was that she was a lady, so the first thing I asked her when we met was, “Would you like me to call you lady?” to which she laughed and said something like this: ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’”

“I remember being nervous about meeting her and then she immediately put me at ease. “She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot and then I was lucky enough to work with her on the ‘Harry Potter’ films for another ten years,” he continued.

Radcliffe appeared in all eight “Harry Potter” films, while Smith appeared in all but “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.”

“Harry Potter” fans know that their characters had a deep and respectful relationship, with McGonagall watching over Harry in an almost motherly yet steadfast manner.

Radcliffe continued his tribute, adding: “She had a fierce intellect, a wonderfully sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm at the same time and, as anyone will tell you, was extremely funny.” I will always consider myself very lucky to have worked with her and being able to spend time with her on set. The word “legend” gets thrown around a lot, but if it applies to someone in our industry, then it applies to them too. “Thank you, Maggie.”

“Harry Potter” actress Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley, also honored “our beloved and revered head of House Gryffindor.” She also shared that her favorite scene with Smith was “when we were all learning to dance for the Yule Ball.” She embodied the perfect balance of sass and loving care that is McGonagall. She kept the Gryffindors on their toes.”

Rupert Grint, known as Ron Weasley, changed his Instagram photo to one of Smith kissing him on the cheek.