Keesha Tang
On Wednesday 27th September 2023, Sir Michael John Gambon, most known for his portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series, died following a bout of pneumonia.
Gambon gained international recognition for his portrayal of Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter franchise from 2004 to 2011.
Gambon’s relationship with the actors off-screen was reportedly relatively lighthearted
When asked about transitioning back into the role of Dumbledore in 2007, after appearing in a number of other movies in the same year, the actor remarked that the role came naturally to him, as “every part (he plays) is just a variant of (his) personality”.
While Dumbledore was a mentor and pseudo-grandfather to the titular character, Gambon’s relationship with the actors off-screen was reportedly relatively lighthearted.
As reported in a recent statement to Variety, Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter, recalled how Gambon would often joke around with his younger co-stars, and “loved his job, but never seemed defined by it.”
He collected classic cars amongst other antiques
There has been an outpouring of grief and love from his other Harry Potter co-stars.
Born in Dublin on 19th October 1940, Gambon moved to London when he was 6 years old, and grew up on Mornington Crescent in Camden.
Owing to his love for cars, he collected classic cars amongst other antiques, and appeared a couple of times on the BBC series Top Gear.
Despite being most known for his role in the Harry Potter films, Gambon’s rise to fame began when he wrote a letter containing fictitious career details in hopes of securing a role on the Dublin’s Gate Theatre stage.
He was consequently cast in the 1962 theatrical production of Othello at twenty-four years old, and later became an original member of the Royal National Theatre.
An illustrious acting career in television and film
His theatrical career spanned nearly 6 decades, appearing in several Shakespeare plays, in addition to winning Olivier Awards for his performances in A Chorus of Disapproval (1985), A View from the Bridge (1987), and Man of the Moment (1990).
In 1995, he garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play for his starring role in David Hare’s Skylight.
Gambon also had an illustrious acting career in television and film, debuting in the 1965 film adaptation of Othello alongside Dame Maggie Smith, whom he later worked on the Harry Potter films with.
He also starred in The Singing Detective (1986), winning his first British Academy Television Award (BAFTA Film Award) for his portrayal of Philip E. Marlow.
“A personal role model” [colleagues of Gambon]
Gambon went on to win 3 more BAFTA Film Awards for his performances in Wives and Daughters (2000), Longitude (2001), and Perfect Strangers (2002), and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Gosford Park (2001) and The King’s Speech (2010).
He continued to consistently take on roles until 2018, when his memory loss prevented him from successfully memorising scripts.
His colleagues have expressed their condolences following his passing, citing him as a “personal role model”.
Keesha Tang
Featured image courtesy of Jules Marvin Eguilos via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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