Renowned Irish actor Michael Gambon, famous for his portrayal of Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series, has passed away at the age of 82.
Gambon’s journey into the world of acting began on the stage in the early 1960s, and he later transitioned into television and film. Notable among his film roles was his depiction of a mob leader in Peter Greenaway’s “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” in 1989 and his compelling portrayal of the elderly King George V in Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” in 2010.
However, it was his iconic role as Dumbledore that catapulted him to worldwide recognition. He assumed the character in the third installment of the eight-movie series, taking over from the late Richard Harris in 2004.
Despite his exceptional performance, Gambon remained humble, often quipping that he merely played himself “with a stuck-on beard and a long robe.”
Michael John Gambon was born on October 19, 1940, in Dublin to a seamstress mother and an engineer father. When he was six years old, the family relocated to Camden Town in London as his father sought employment during the city’s post-war rebuilding.
At the age of 15, Gambon left school to begin an engineering apprenticeship, and by the time he was 21, he had become a fully qualified engineer. However, his heart belonged to the world of acting, and he was a member of an amateur theatre group, always knowing that acting was his true calling. He once revealed in an interview with The Herald newspaper in 2004 that he drew inspiration from American actors Marlon Brando and James Dean, as he believed they embodied the teenage angst he could relate to.
Gambon established his reputation on the stage during the 1960s. His breakthrough came in the 1980s when he took on the lead role in the 1986 television series “The Singing Detective,” where he played a writer afflicted with a debilitating skin condition, and whose imagination served as his sole escape from his suffering. This remarkable performance earned him one of his four BAFTAs.
Throughout his career, Gambon received numerous accolades, including three Olivier Awards and two ensemble cast Screen Actors Guild Awards for his roles in “Gosford Park” and “The King’s Speech.”
In 1992, he was appointed a Commander of the British Empire, and in 1998, he was knighted for his services to drama, a title he humorously referred to as “a nice little present,” although he chose not to use it.
Known for his playful and mischievous personality, Gambon was known to spin tall tales. For years, he proudly displayed a signed photograph of Robert De Niro, which he had inscribed himself before ever meeting the American actor. He once shared on an episode of “The Late Late Show” in Ireland that he had even convinced his mother that he was friends with the Pope.
In 2015, Gambon retired from the stage due to long-term memory problems but continued to appear on screen until 2019. In a 2002 interview, he expressed that his work made him feel like “the luckiest man in the world.”
