By Adia Miller

On September 23, Irish actor Michael Gambon passed away in his sleep at age 82 of pneumonia with his wife Anne and son Fergus by his side.

Probably best known by the masses as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, he took up the role after Richard Harris, the original Dumbledore actor, passed away in 2002. Gambon would be featured in six of the eight movies, from The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) to The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011).

Upon hearing of his passing, many Harry Potter actors took to social media to share their condolences to Gambon’s family and fond memories of the man. In a statement to the press, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter actor) said Gambon was “one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.” Rupert Grint (Ronald Weasley actor) would make a rare social media post, citing Gambon as a “personal role model” of his, while Emma Watson (Hermione Granger actress) would similarly praise his kindness and the way he “wore greatness lightly” in her stories.

James Phelps shared a personal experience with Gambon on his Instagram. In between the intense clocktower scene in the sixth film, Gambon would help him rehearse lines from “Peter and the Wolf” while giving him notes as a seasoned theater actor himself.

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley actress), Jason Issacs (Lucius Malfoy actor), and David Thewlis (Remus Lupin actor) also shared their grief on Instagram.

Acting Credits 
Gambon’s other film roles include Cordelia (2019), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Judy (2019), both Paddington movies, and Othello (1965) beside fellow Harry Potter actor Maggie Smith, among others.

Gambon also was featured in TV series such as the 2010 Doctor Who episode “A Christmas Carol” playing Kazran and Elliot Sardick, the 1967 BBC adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, 1986’s The Singing Detective in which he played the title role, and the 2015 miniseries The Casual Vacancy, which was based on another work by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

Though featured in a number of reputable features, Gambon preferred theater, referring to it as “the only place for me to be.” Unfortunately, he had to retire from the stage in 2015 after multiple instances of forgetting his lines.

“It’s a horrible thing to admit, but I can’t do it. It breaks my heart,” Gambon said to the London Sunday Times, though he kept pursuing roles in film and television.

Gambon’s theater debut came in a 1962 production of Othello in a small role. Five years later, he would take on its title role as well as that of Macbeth. He would also star in Cressida, The Caretaker, Henry IV, and All the Fall.  

Accolades
Gambon has been awarded such accolades as the Richard Harris Award, which was named after the first Dumbledore actor and celebrates those who have contributed highly to British cinema, four Best Actor BAFTAs, two Royal Television Societys for best actor, and one Satellite award. In 1998, Gambon was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, but seldom used the title.