Gambon was an accomplished Irish-English actor of stage and screen who is internationally known for his role as Professor Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films, after replacing Richard Harris, who died in 2002. Gambon died yesterday in hospital after a bout of pneumonia.
A statement issued by the actor’s publicist Clair Dobbs said, “We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon.”
“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. We ask that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love.”
Dublin-born Gambon began his acting career with Laurence Olivier as an original member of the Royal National Theater.
He appeared in numerous Shakespeare productions, taking on classic roles such as Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and Coriolanus.He was nominated for 13 Olivier Awards, winning three times for A Chorus of Disapproval (1985), A View from the Bridge (1987) and Man of the Moment (1990).
The actor made his Broadway debut in 1997 in David Hare's Skylight, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award in the Best Actor category. During his sixty-year career, Gambon received three Oliviers, two SAG Awards and four BAFTA Awards. In 1999 he was knighted for his services to drama.
His other feature films include The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, The Wings of the Dove, Gosford Park, The King's Speech and The Life Aquatic.
The actor has also appeared in many television roles. He played his first leading role in 1968's The Borderers, which ran for two seasons on BBC Two. Then Gambon was seen in, among others, the sitcom The Other One (1977), the three-part miniseries Oscar (1985), in which Gambon played Oscar Wilde (the famous Irish poet and playwright), the six-part series The Singing Detective (1986), Maigret (1992), about the famous French detective Jules Maigret and the miniseries Perfect Strangers (2001).
He had a supporting role in HBO's Angels in America in 2003 and a guest role in the 2010 Doctor Who Christmas special. Gambon is part of the regular cast of Luck (HBO) in 2012, the series about the world of horse racing starring Dustin Hoffman. The series was canceled after one season. In 2015, the actor starred in The Casual Vacancy, a miniseries based on a book by J.K. Rowling. Gambon's last television role also dates from 2015. He played one season in the psychological thriller-horror series Fortitude.