Harry Potter's Dumbledore actor, Sir Michael Gambon, dies at 82
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Actors and fellow peers from the Harry Potter series rush to the news of his passing and pay tributes to "The Great Gambon" who was renowned for devoting all he had to his performances.
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British actor Michael Gambon attends the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in central London on July 7, 2011 (AFP)
Sir Michael Gambon's family has confirmed that the renowned and legendary actor has passed away aged 82.
Mostly known for playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in 6 of the 8 Harry Potter films, the Irish-born star worked in TV, film, theatre, and radio for 60 years and won four Baftas.
His widow, Lady Gambon, and his son Fergus released a statement that their "beloved husband and father" died peacefully in the hospital with his family by his side after he was hit with pneumonia.
He left Ireland as a child with his family and moved to London but originally kickstarted his first stage performance in a production of Othello in Dublin in 1962. Later, when he became one of the original members of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre acting company in London, he became more famous and won three Olivier awards for his performances.
He has played the role of French detective Jules Maigret in the ITV series Maigret and as Philip Marlow in Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective on BBC.
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His most notable role, however, was that of Dumbledore, the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts in the hit Harry Potter series in 2003, based on JK Rowling's novels, which he succeeded after the death of actor Richard Harris that year.
Sir Michael Gambon: October 19, 1940 - September 28, 2023
— Harry Potter Universe (@HPotterUniverse) September 28, 2023
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
-Albus Dumbledore#RIPMichaelGambon pic.twitter.com/jgAqM7v3Z0
Tributes from the industry
Actress Fiona Shaw, who played Petunia Dursley in Harry Potter, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One, "He varied his career remarkably and never judged what he was doing, he just played," adding that she always viewed him "as a trickster, just a brilliant, magnificent trickster."
"With text, there was nothing like him. He could do anything."
Jason Isaacs, who portrayed Lucius Malfoy, took to social media to say, "I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective - complex, vulnerable and utterly human... The greatest thrill of being in the Potter films was that he knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me."
Magnificent Michael Gambon has died. I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective - complex, vulnerable and utterly human. The greatest thrill of being in the Potter films was that he knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me.
— Jason Isaacs (@jasonsfolly) September 28, 2023
James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley, went on X to call him "a legend" after sharing a screenshot of text recalling Sir Michael offering once to go over lines on a weekend when he had a part in Peter and the Wolf with the Manchester Halle Orchestra.
Very sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Gambon. He was, on and off the camera, a legend. Just a little memory of Michael pic.twitter.com/4M6E6inWMy
— James Phelps (@James_Phelps) September 28, 2023
"We spent what should have been his downtime going over my weekend gig. It is a memory that I've always had as one of the highlights of my (Harry Potter) days," Phelps said.
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The actress who played Sir Michael's wife in the BBC sitcom Mama's Back in 1993, Dame Joan Collins, described him as a "great actor and great fun."
Dame Eileen Atkins, a longtime friend, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One that "he always pretended he didn't take it very seriously," referring to his acting skills, and recalled his amazing stage presence.
"He just had to walk on stage and he commanded the whole audience immediately," she said, adding, "There was something very sweet about him, this huge man who could look very frightening - but there was something incredibly sweet inside Michael."
"I will always remember that man."
'The Great Gambon' bids farewell
His other notable filmography includes the big screen adaptation of Dad's Army, Gosford Park, and the King's Speech, in which he played King George V.
In 2010, he was nominated for the Emmy Awards for his role as Mr. Woodhouse in an adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, and for President Lyndon B Johnson in 'Path to War' in 2002 and received a Tony nomination in 1997 for a role in the David Hare play 'Skylight'.
In 1998, he was knighted for his contributions to the entertainment industry after becoming a UK citizen in his childhood.
The actor, also known as "The Great Gambon" among his acting peers, last appeared on stage in 2012 in a UK production of Samuel Beckett's play 'All That Fall'.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar also paid tributes, "A great actor. Whether performing in Beckett, Dennis Potter, or Harry Potter, he gave his all to every performance."
