Warner Bros./Alamy Stock Photo
Michael Gambon and Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
CNN –
Daniel Radcliffe, the lead actor in the original “Harry Potter” film series, is remembering his late co-star Michael Gambon after he died of pneumonia this week at the age of 82.
“Michael Gambon was one of the most brilliant and effortless actors I have ever had the pleasure of working with, but despite his immense talent, what I will remember him most about is how much fun he had at his job,” Radcliffe said in a statement to Variety on Thursday.
“He was goofy, irreverent and hilarious. He loved his job but never seemed defined by it,” he added
Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the films, also paid tribute to Gambon on Instagram, writing: “So sad to hear about Michael. He brought so much warmth and mischief to the set every day. He fascinated me as a child and has become a personal role model for me when it comes to finding fun and eccentricity in life.”
Gambon portrayed Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, a role he took over after the death of Richard Harris in 2002.
“Harry Potter” author JK Rowling also took time to remember the actor on Thursday. Write on X/Twitter“I just heard the terrible news about Michael Gambon. The first time I saw him was in King Lear in 1982, and if you had told me then that this brilliant actor would appear in anything I wrote, I would have thought you were crazy.”
“Michael was not only a wonderful man but also an outstanding actor and I really enjoyed working with him,” she added.
Actor Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the “Potter” films, called Gambon “great” in his film. tribute continued on shared a fearless, dirty sense of fun with me.”
Gambon died aged 82 as a result of “pneumonia”, a statement issued on behalf of his family said on Thursday, news agency PA Media reported.
“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon,” his publicist Clair Dobbs said in a statement, according to PA.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed a quote to Daniel Radcliffe. The story has been updated with a statement from Radcliffe.