Harry Potter’s Dumbledore Actor Michael Gambon Has Passed Away at the Age of 82

Michael Gambon, 82, passed away on Thursday after a “bout of pneumonia,” according to a statement released by his family, as reported by the PA Media news agency. The actor was best known for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” films.

The statement sent by his spokeswoman Clair Dobbs said, “We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon,” as reported by PA. “Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia. Michael was 82.”

While we appreciate the outpouring of love and support, we ask that you give us some space at this difficult time. Another of Gambon’s most prominent roles was that of the psoriasis-stricken detective in the 1980s smash hit series “The Singing Detective.”

Gambon, one of the most talented actors of his time, was born in Cabra, Dublin. He later relocated to London. He was an apprentice toolmaker and grew up in a Camden neighborhood filled with Irish immigrants.He acquired a lifelong interest in collectibles including vintage firearms, watches, and automobiles.

“I’ve always been an obsessive collector of things,” he told a Guardian interviewer in 2004. “Richard Briers collects stamps. I collect cars and guns, which are much more expensive, and much more difficult to store.” Gambon began his acting career in a 1962 performance of “Othello” at Dublin’s Gate Theatre after studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art while apprenticing as a toolmaker.

Actor Laurence Olivier saw potential in him and recruited him to join the National Theatre Company. Gambon joined the Birmingham Repertory Company four years later and began performing as lead characters in his all-time favorite Shakespearean works.

Gambon first gained widespread recognition in the 1980s for his role as Philip Marlow in the Anglo-American public television miniseries “The Singing Detective.” He was made a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 1990. In recognition of his work in the theater, he was knighted eight years later.

Perhaps Gambon’s most enduring legacy, though, will be his portrayal of Hogwarts’ beloved headmaster Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” film series after Richard Harris’s untimely passing in 2002. In total, Gambon appeared in six of the eight “Harry Potter” movies in the role of Dumbledore.

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Tributes for ‘Legend’

Actor Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, shared an Instagram picture honoring Gambon. “So sad to hear about Michael. He brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set,” wrote Grint. “He captivated me as a kid and became a personal role model of mine for finding the fun and eccentricities in life.”

Thursday on X (formerly known as Twitter), James Phelps, who played Ron Weasley’s brother Fred in the “Harry Potter” film trilogy, sent an homage to Gambon. “Very sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Gambon. He was, on and off the camera, a legend,” wrote Phelps.

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

Phelps recalled fondly working with the senior actor in between takes of the sixth “Harry Potter” film, saying, “He was always very funny and very welcoming to share any knowledge he had.” The actress who played Harry Potter’s aunt Petunia Dursley in the film adaptations, Fiona Shaw, recently told the BBC that Michael Gambon “varied his career remarkably.”

Furthermore, Shaw mentioned that Gambon was a “gun maker” who boasted that “he could fool the V&A [museum] into believing that they were 18th century guns.” “So I will think of him as a trickster, just a brilliant, magnificent trickster, but with text there was nothing like him, he could do anything.”

The actress who played Harry Potter’s aunt Petunia Dursley in the film adaptations, Fiona Shaw, recently told the BBC that Michael Gambon “varied his career remarkably.” Furthermore, Shaw mentioned that Gambon was a “gun maker” who boasted that “he could fool the V&A [museum] into believing that they were 18th century guns.”

“So I will think of him as a trickster, just a brilliant, magnificent trickster, but with text there was nothing like him, he could do anything.” In an interview with the BBC, Helen Mirren praised Gambon and recalled his wit. “Naughty but very, very funny,” she said. “He kept me constantly in laughter.”

Mirren praised Gambon’s “extraordinary contribution to the British theater landscape” and said he was a “instinctive actor.” Gambon was nominated for two Emmys and won many Best Actor BAFTAs during the course of his impressive career.