Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint join JK Rowling in paying tribute to the actor who played Dumbledore after the stage and screen veteran passed away at age 82 from pneumonia as Michael Gambon is remembered by the Harry Potter cast.
Following his hospital death at age 82 from pneumonia, J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe led the tributes to Harry Potter actor Sir Michael Gambon, calling him a “wonderful man” and a “outstanding actor” and praising him as both.
With Sir Laurence Olivier, the towering figure of British theatre and screen began his 60-year career on stage, and in six of the eight films based on Rowling’s books, Albus Dumbledore was a favorite of younger audiences.
“I just heard the terrible news about Michael Gambon,” the Scottish author wrote. I first saw him in King Lear in 1982, and if you had told me back then that talented actor would appear in any of my writing, I would have thought you were crazy.
In addition to being a superb actor, Michael was a fantastic person, and I adored working with him on both Potter and The Casual Vacancy. My sincere condolences are sent to Michael’s family and all of his friends.
Alongside the late actor’s Dumbledore, Radcliffe portrayed the lead kid wizard, and he described Sir Michael as “one of the most brilliant, effortless actors” he had ever worked with.
With the passing of Michael Gambon, the world suddenly became a lot less enjoyable, according to Radcliffe. The thing I will remember most about Michael Gambon is how much joy he had while working. He was one of the most talented, effortless actors I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He was ridiculous, brash, and entertaining. Although he enjoyed his job, it didn’t seem to define him.
The actor also praised Sir Michael for being a “incredible story and joke teller” and for making their time on set “more memorable and joyful than they had any right to be.”
Radcliffe continued, “I’m really sorry to hear he went away, but I’m so grateful that I am one of the fortunate ones who got to work with him.
Sir Michael was also fondly remembered by his co-stars Grint and Watson, who played Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively.
So sorry to hear about Michael, Grint wrote. Every day on set, he brought so much warmth and mischief. He captured my attention when I was young and later served as my own role model for embracing life’s quirks and joy. I’m sending his family nothing but love.
For “showing us what it looks like to wear greatness lightly,” Watson commended Gambon. Kind kind kind Michael Gambon, she added in a post to Instagram. Even though you didn’t take it too seriously, you managed to deliver the most sombre passages with all the gravitas.
“We appreciate you demonstrating what it looks like to carry greatness softly. You are missed by us.
‘Magnificent Michael Gambon has passed away,’ tweeted Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy. Michael in The Singing Detective showed me what acting might be: complicated, vulnerable, and absolutely human. The best part of playing a character in the Harry Potter films was that he recognized me and shared his daring, dirty sense of humor with me.
Sir Michael, an Irishman, assumed the role of Dumbledore after fellow countryman Richard Harris passed away, and he quickly gained worldwide fame. Although his millions of followers disagreed, Sir Michael claimed that playing the headmaster of Hogwarts would be “no feat,” adding that he would “just stick on a beard and play me.”
A terrific actor, according to Mr. Harris’ son Jared Harris, a Hollywood luminary in his own right. He was on stage multiple times for me, and I will never forget him. He succeeded my father as Dumbledore, which was appropriate given that he replaced Brando as my father’s favorite actor.
According to Irish actress and television personality Fiona Shaw, she would always remember her Harry Potter co-star as a “brilliant, magnificent trickster.” Shaw, who originated the role of Petunia Dursley in the movie series, stated on BBC Radio 4: “I shall remember him because he was also a gun builder, he could make firearms, and he always boasted he could trick the V&A into believing that they were 18th century guns. Since he was so adept with text, I will continue to think of him as a trickster who was simply brilliant and amazing.
On the Harry Potter films, she also recalled working with him: “He took over from Richard Harris and of course, he began to mimic Richard Harris, who had just passed away, and he would do his accent, the slight Irish accent.”
Of course, he always enjoyed finding a reason to do so because his family had relocated from Ireland to Camden. He simply adored the ambiguity of truth and unreality, which naturally made him a very talented actor.
He once told me in the car, “I know I talk a lot about this and that, but in the end, there is only acting,” continued Shaw. Despite the fact that he always pretended otherwise, I believe he took it quite seriously.
He was called “a legend” by actor James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley in the Harry Potter movie series.
We are deeply saddened to learn of Michael Gambon’s demise. He was a legend both on and off camera,’ he wrote in the post.
Michael Gambon’s complicated love life: How the actor balanced having two families while spending time with both his wife of 61 years and the set designer who gave birth to his two young sons.
The actor posted a screenshot of a text message that listed Sir Michael as “one of the highlights” of his time on set.
In between settings, Michael inquired as to what I had planned for the weekend. As it occurred, my brother and I were listening to the Manchester Halle Orchestra read Peter and the Wolf.
Phelps claimed that Sir Michael made the opportunity to him and Oliver, his twin brother who played George Weasley in the films, to swap notes.
‘We talked about my weekend gig during what should have been his downtime. It has always been one of my favorite memories from my [Harry Potter] days.
Dame Helen Mirren praised Sir Michael as a “extraordinary actor” and recalled their collaboration on the 1982 film Antony and Cleopatra.
Because he was so hilarious, she told BBC News, she would smile when she thinks about him. He had a dirty yet incredibly humorous natural Irish sense of humor. In addition to being incredibly self-deprecating, he was a natural actor and a joy to be around in general.
We had some extremely entertaining times acting out Antony and Cleopatra together, and he kept me laughing nonstop.
In the pilot episode of the upcoming BBC sitcom Mama’s back, actress Dame Joan Collins, who played Sir Michael’s wife, called him “a great actor and great fun.”
Sir Michael was praised by Irish President Michael D. Higgins as “one of his generation’s finest actors.”
The president declared in a statement that Michael Gambon, who was born in Dublin, was among the best actors of his generation.
Early on in his career, he was recognized for his outstanding talent on stage, screen, television, and radio.
He gained notoriety more recently for his depiction of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, which introduced him to a new generation of kids and adults.
However, his talent was demonstrated over a period of sixty years. Whether it was through his work with Sir Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre in London or his appearances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, he appeared to have no limits as an actor. His friendship with the late Peter O’Toole was evidence of their mutual devotion to the value of performing on stage.
In his words, “Sir Michael Gambon leaves a great body of work that will serve as a compelling legacy and a reminder of all that he accomplished to all who appreciated his work.”
Given his humble origins—he was born in Dublin to a working-class couple who urged him to pursue an engineering career when he dropped out of school at the age of 15—Sir Michael’s climb to one of the most recognized performers in the world was all the more remarkable.
After appearing in numerous William Shakespeare performances and excelling in Othello, he received 13 Olivier nominations. In 1968, after Sean Connery left On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, he won an audition to play James Bond and went on to star in a number of popular TV shows. However, he admitted to producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, “I haven’t got nice hair and I’m a bit fat,” and George Lazenby was given the role instead.
He was beloved for his role as French detective Jules Maigret and was knighted in 1999. We are heartbroken to share the news of Sir Michael Gambon’s passing, said publicist Clair Dobbs on behalf of his wife Lady Anne Gambon and son Fergus.
Following a bout with pneumonia, Michael, a devoted husband and father, passed away quietly in the hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus by his side. Michael was 82 years old.
“We appreciate your messages of support and love, but ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”
In 1962, he wed retired mathematician Lady Anne. Their ceramics expert son Fergus works for auction house Bonhams. On a regular basis, he can be seen on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
Sir Michael was born in Dublin, the son of an engineer father and a seamstress mother.
At age 15, he dropped out of school without a diploma and began an apprenticeship as a toolmaker. He became a qualified engineer at the age of 21, but he only held that position for one year before deciding to switch to acting.
Known for his broad body of work in TV, film, radio, and theatre throughout a career spanning decades, Sir Michael has won four TV Baftas.
He appeared as Albus Dumbledore in six of the most recent eight Harry Potter films.
Speaking lately about it, he claimed that he does not “really have to play anyone,” referring to his role as the wizard.
‘I just throw on a beard and play me, so it’s no huge feat,’ he claimed. I don’t ever break into a role; every personality I play is just a distorted version of my own. I’m not really much of a character actor.
Aside from playing, it was revealed in 2015 that he divided his time between a residence in West London with set designer Philippa Hart and their two kids, Tom and Will, and the £5 million country estate he shared with Lady Anne near Gravesend in Kent. It’s thought that the boys are in their early teens.
After only a year of dating, he was freely introducing her to the cast of his next film, the Oscar-winning Gosford Park, in which he played a philandering nobleman, including Charles Dance, Dame Maggie Smith, and others.
And although his wife is claimed to have originally been distraught by the news that Sir Michael had moved out of their house, it is clear that she eventually came to terms with the situation because he later moved back in.
He then divided his time between the two families, driving between London and Kent and back in his collection of sports vehicles, which included a Ferrari, a Mercedes, and his beloved 178 mph Audi R8. When asked about his marriage, the actor famously said, “What wife,” since he was always guarded about his personal life.
His passion for fast cars was well known. He was a licensed pilot as well.
The actor was such a “tremendous guest” on the BBC show, according to former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, that a racecourse corner was named after him because he rode around it on two wheels.
Clarkson wrote, “I’m so sad to hear that Michael Gambon has passed away.”
We even dedicated an area after him because he was so entertaining and a great visitor.
Sir Michael in 1987 with Dame Judi Dench at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards (Picture)
He is also well-known for his roles as French investigator Jules Maigret in the ITV series Maigret and as The Singing investigator on the BBC.
In 1962, Sir Michael made his stage debut in a performance of Othello at the Gates Theatre in Dublin. In 1998, he was knighted for his services to the entertainment business.
His illustrious theatre career includes appearances in plays by Alan Ayckbourn, such as The Life of Galileo and The Norman Conquests, as well as Nicholas Hytner’s National Theatre production of Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2. He also had a remarkable performance in the BBC’s 2015 adaptation of JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy.
He played Private Godfrey in the 2016 film adaptation of Dad’s Army, and he has had roles in the historical dramas The King’s Speech (2010), Gosford Park (2002), and Victoria & Abdul (2017).
In addition to being honored by American prizes, Sir Michael received Emmy nods for his roles as Mr. Woodhouse in the 2010 adaptation of Emma by Jane Austen and as former US President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 2002 film Path to War.
He received a Tony nomination in 1997 for his portrayal in the David Hare play Skylight, which is about the aftermath of an affair. Earlier, in 1990, he won the Olivier Award for best comedy performance of the year for the political farce Man of the Moment at the Globe, which is now the Gielgud Theatre.
After having trouble remembering his lines in front of an audience due to his advancing age, Sir Michael withdrew from the stage in 2015. ‘It’s an awful thing to acknowledge, but I can’t do it,’ he once told the Sunday Times Magazine. It makes my heart ache.
One of those paying respect was comedian David Baddiel, who called his theatrical performances “the best acting I’ve ever seen.”
Baddiel wrote on X, now known as Twitter, “The first theatre with a capital T I ever saw was Michael Gambon in Brecht’s Life of Galileo at The National in 1980.”
I’ve never seen better stage acting than that, to this day. RIP.’
Sir Michael as Winston Churchill in 2016 drama Churchill’s Secret. Pictured alongside him are Lindsay Duncan as Clementine Churchill and Romola Garai as Millie Appleyard (PICTURE)
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