The actor Sir Michael Gambon has died in hospital aged 82 according to a statement released by his family. Best known recently for playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films, he worked in TV, film, theatre and radio over a five-decade career, and had won four BAFTA awards.
His widow Lady Gambon and son Fergus said their “beloved husband and father” died peacefully with his family by his side after suffering from pneumonia.
As well as his starring role in Harry Potter, based on the novels by JK Rowling novels, Sir Michael had played French detective Jules Maigret in ITV series Maigret, and Philip Marlow in Dennis Potter’s BBC series The Singing Detective.
Shakespeare
Sir Michael, who was born in Dublin, began his career as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre in London and went on to star in a number of Shakespeare plays. Over his six-decade-long career he received three Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four BAFTA Awards.
Gambon appeared in many Shakespeare productions including Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and Coriolanus, and in 1997 made his Broadway debut in David Hare’s Skylight earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination.
He made his film debut in Othello (1965)and other notable films include The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), The Wings of the Dove (1997), Gosford Park (2001), and Wes Anderson films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). His stardom was increased by his playing of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series from 2004 to 2011, replacing the late Richard Harris.
In 2017 he received the Irish Film & Television Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2020, he was listed at No. 27 on The Irish Times’ list of Ireland’s greatest film actors.
In 1999 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.
See also: Man from U.N.C.L.E. Star David McCallum Dies at 90
