British-Irish actor Michael Gambon, who gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of the wise professor Albus Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” film series and whose career was mentored by Laurence Olivier, passed away at the age of 82 on Thursday, according to reports from PA Media.
The family released a statement confirming that he died peacefully at a hospital.
Initially starting out on stage performances in the early 1960s, Gambon later transitioned into television and film. Notable film roles include a deranged mob leader in Peter Greenaway’s “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” in 1989 and the elderly King George V in Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” in 2010.
However, Gambon was most famously known for his portrayal of Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” series. He assumed the role from the third movie onwards, taking over from the late Richard Harris in 2004. Gambon humbly dismissed the acclaim for his performance, describing it as merely being himself “with a stuck-on beard and a long robe.”
Michael John Gambon was born on October 19, 1940, in Dublin, to a mother who worked as a seamstress and a father who was an engineer. When Gambon was six years old, the family relocated to Camden Town in London as his father sought employment during the city’s post-war reconstruction phase.
At the age of 15, Gambon left school to start an engineering apprenticeship. By the time he turned 21, he had achieved full qualification as an engineer. Nevertheless, Gambon was a member of an amateur theater group and harbored a strong desire to pursue acting. He cited American actors Marlon Brando and James Dean as his inspirations, believing they embodied the angst experienced by teenage boys.
In 1962, Gambon auditioned for the renowned Shakespearean actor Laurence Olivier, who then selected him as one of the founding members of the National Theatre at the Old Vic. This group consisted of other emerging talents like Derek Jacobi and Maggie Smith.
Over the ensuing years, Gambon honed his craft on stage, earning recognition for his portrayal of Galileo in John Dexter’s “Life of Galileo” in 1980.
During the 1980s, he garnered wider acclaim through his leading role in the 1986 TV show “The Singing Detective”. In this series, he portrayed a writer afflicted with a debilitative skin condition, for whom imagination offered the sole respite from his suffering. This performance earned him one of his four BAFTAs.
Gambon also received three Olivier Awards and two ensemble cast Screen Actors Guild Awards, for his contributions to “Gosford Park” (2001) and “The King’s Speech”.
Gambon was appointed as a Commander of the British Empire in 1992 and was subsequently knighted for his contributions to the field of drama in 1998. Despite this honor, he chose not to use the title, referring to it as a “nice little present”.
Known for his mischievous nature, Gambon often told fictional stories. He would show his fellow actors a signed photograph of Robert De Niro, which he had actually inscribed himself before ever meeting the American actor. Gambon also once convinced his mother that he was friends with the pope.
Gambon retired from stage performances in 2015 due to long-term memory issues, but he continued to act onscreen until 2019. In a 2002 interview, he expressed feeling like “the luckiest man in the world” because of his work.
Gambon married Anne Miller in 1962, and they had one son together. Although they never divorced, Gambon had another partner, set designer Philippa Hart, who was 25 years younger. They had two children.
Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by William Schomberg and Rosalba O’Brien
Credit: The Star : News Feed
