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Michael Gambon died at the age of 82
September 28, 2023, 09:25 03
Updated 2 hours ago
Irish and British actor Michael Gambon, famous for his role as Professor Albus Dumbledore in six Harry Potter films, has died in hospital aged 82, his family said on Thursday (September 28).
Gambon, who was born in Dublin, has worked in television, film, theater and radio over the course of his fivedecade career. He won four Bafta awards, which are among the most important in the British film industry.
In a statement, widow Lady Gambon and her son Fergus said their “beloved husband and father” died peacefully with his family by his side after suffering from pneumonia.
Over the course of his sixdecade career, the actor became best known for his role as Albus Dumbledore. After the death of Richard Harris, who was Dumbledore in the first two films of the Harry Potter saga, he continued to play the headmaster of the Hogwarts wizarding school.
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The actor joined the cast of Harry Potter in 2009
In addition to his role in Harry Potter, based on the novels by JK Rowling, Michael Gambon played French detective Jules Maigret in the British ITV series Maigret. He is also known in the UK for his role as Philip Marlow in the BBC series The Singing Detective.
He began his career as one of the founding members of London’s Royal National Theater and appeared in several Shakespeare plays.
In 2018 he was knighted for his services to the entertainment industry and given the title of Sir Michael Gambon.
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The artist had a career that spanned six decades
Decades before he joined the cast of Harry Potter, Gambon’s career in the theater had gained prominence after joining the acting troupe at Laurence Olivier’s National Theater in London. The artist won three Olivier Awards for performances in National Theater productions.
His other film credits include the films Dad’s Army, The King’s Speech and Gosford Park.
He was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Woodhouse in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma in 2010 and for the role of President Lyndon B. Johnson in Path to War in 2002.
Honors
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Gambon as Phillip Marlow in The Singing Detective
Several artists paid tribute to Gambon this Thursday. Many admired the actor’s talent and his career.
James Phelps, who starred alongside Gambon in the Harry Potter films as Fred Weasley Ron’s older brother was one of the first cast members to remember him.
“So sorry to hear of the passing of Michael Gambon,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding: “He was a legend in front of and behind the camera.”
Phelps also shared a memory from his time with Gambon:
“One day we were filming the final scene in Dumbledore’s Clock Tower, obviously quite an intense scene. In between filming, Michael asked what I was doing that weekend. It turned out that my brother and I were rehearsing with Peter and the Wolf” the Manchester Hall Orchestra. “Do you have the script with you?” he asked.”
“[Ele disse] “I’ve already done that, let’s go over it again and if you want I can give you some notes.” So we spent his actual free time with my weekend show. It’s a memory I always had during my time at HP.
Fiona Shaw, who played Petunia Dursley in Harry Potter, says Gambon was someone who would play any role available in theatre, film or television. He “diversified his career remarkably and never judged what he did, he just played,” she said in an interview with the BBC’s World At One.
Actress Dame Eileen Atkins, who was friends with and worked with Gambon, described the actor as someone who was very funny.
She says the actor “always acted like he didn’t take acting too seriously. “It’s clear he really took it seriously,” she told the BBC’s World at One.
Atkins called her colleague’s stage presence “incredible” and said she could walk on stage and “immediately captivate the entire audience.” She added that “there was something very sweet about him, this huge man who could look very scary, but there was something incredibly sweet about Michael.”
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The actor plays Kazran in Doctor Who, alongside Matt Smith and Laurence Belcher.
Actor Jason Isaacs, who was also part of the cast of Harry Potter, paid tribute to his colleague and described him as a “great” person.
“I learned from Michael on The Singing Detective what acting can be complex, vulnerable and completely human,” wrote Isaacs, who played villain Lucius Malfoy in the series.
He said his “biggest thrill” about the Harry Potter films was that Gambon knew his name and “shared his fearless and intense sense of fun.”