Michael Gambon (1940-2023)
The British/Irish actor Michael Gambon has died peacefully in hospital after battling pneumonia on 27 September 2023. He was 82 years old. A truly gifted actor for six decades, he was best known for his portrayal as the wise headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, in the last six Harry Potter films, which he took over from Richard Harris after his death. Admittedly, he had not read any of the books by J.K. Rowling, arguing that it was safer to follow the script rather than be too influenced by them. But that hasn't stopped him from channelling the spirit of Dumbledore, the powerful wizard who battled evil for the sake of his students. Although Gambon had previously established himself as one of Britain's leading actors, the Potter role raised his international profile and introduced him to a new generation of fans. We will remember him for the deep and penetrating tones of his voice and for that iconic role, which was synonymous with him.
He was born on 19 October 1940 in Ireland and grew up in London. He originally trained as an engineer, following in his father's footsteps. Before making his way onto the silver screen, Gambon was already a stage actor, having made his theatre debut in a production of "Othello" in Dublin and had his first big break with a minor role in "Hamlet". It was not until 1965 that he debuted on the screen in the film adaptation of "Othello" with Laurence Olivier, Derek Jacobi and Maggie Smith. Gambon became famous in Britain for his lead role in the 1986 BBC series "The Singing Detective", which received him a BAFTA award for Best Actor for his performance and was considered a classic in British television drama. The real turning point in his film career happened in 2004 when Gambon ended up accepting what was to be his most widely known role in the Harry Potter series as Albus Dumbledore after his predecessor Richard Harris died suddenly in October 2002, starting with "The Prisoner of Azkaban" and ending it with "Deathly Hallows: Part 2".
His other film roles include "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", "Toys", "Sleepy Hollow", "Gosford Park", "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", "Layer Cake", "Fantastic Mr. Fox", "Paddington", "Dad's Army", "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" and "Judy". He also played King George V in "The King's Speech" in 2010 and appeared in a Christmas special for "Doctor Who". Gambon received a knighthood for his services to the theatre in 1998.
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