Gambon played the part of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six Harry Potter films – from Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban through to Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Michael Gambon, the Irish-born actor knighted for his illustrious career on the stage and screen and who went on to gain admiration from a new generation of moviegoers with his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films, has died. He was 82.
While the Potter role raised Gambon’s international profile and found him a huge audience, he had long been celebrated as one of Britain’s leading actors. His work spanned TV, theatre, film and radio, and over the decades he starred in dozens of movies from Gosford Park and The King’s Speech to the animated family film Paddington. He recently appeared in the Judy Garland biopic Judy, released in 2019.
Co-stars often described Gambon as a mischievous, funny man who was self-deprecating about his talent. Actress Helen Mirren fondly remembered his “natural Irish sense of humourFiona Shaw, who played Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter series, recalled Gambon telling her how central acting was to his life.
Born in Dublin on Oct 19, 1940, Gambon was raised in London and originally trained as an engineer, following in the footsteps of his father. He did not have formal drama training, and was said to have started work in the theatre as a set builder. He made his theatre debut in a production of Othello in Dublin.
A multi-talented actor, Gambon was also the recipient of four coveted British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards for his television work. He also had a part as King George V in the 2010 drama film The King’s Speech. In 2015 he returned to the works of JK Rowling, taking a leading role in the TV adaptation of her non-Potter book The Casual Vacancy.