‘Harry Potter’ Michael Gambon, Dumbledore, Dead At 82

ByAllie Johnson
Michael Gambon - Feature

Tragic breaking news for Harry Potter fans this morning. British actor Michael Gambon, who played the role of Dumbledore, has been confirmed dead at the age of 82. The incredibly talented actor is best known for playing the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the Harry Potter movies.

Harry Potter: Michael Gambon, Dumbledore, Dead At 82

Now, this news may be a bit confusing for fans as Michael Gambon was not the first to play Dumbledore. Richard Harris was the original Dumbledore. Richard played the role of Dumbledore for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). Tragically, Richard received a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease in August 2002. The diagnosis came after a stay at the hospital with pneumonia.

From the hospital, Richard Harris remained confident he would get better. So, he made Alfonso Cuarón Orozco, the director of the third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, promise not to recast his role as Dumbledore. Tragically, he passed away at the University College Hospital in Bloomsbury, London on October 25th, 2002 He was 72 at the time of his passing.

Michael Gambon landed the role of Dumbledore after Richard Harris passed away in 2002.

As one of the core characters in the Harry Potter franchise, Michael Gambon’s death hits fans hard. The actor’s family has issued an official statement on his passing:

We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia.”

The Harry Potter Actor Had An Incredible Career

While he is best known for his role in the Harry Potter franchise, that is far from the only thing on his acting resume.

According to IMDb, The British actor had an incredible career with just shy of 200 acting credits on his resume. Furthermore, the credits on his resume also reveal that he continued acting up until a few years ago, with 2019 being his final year in the profession.

Some of the other credits on his resume include playing the voice of Uncle Pastuzo in Paddington and Paddington 2. He played Arthur in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. And, he played George in The Book Of Eli. His colleagues spoke highly of him as an actor.

The actor also dabbled in voice acting on various video games over the years.

Fiona Shaw, who played Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter franchise, referred to Michael Gambon as a “brilliant, magnificent trickster.” Moreover, she told BBC Radio 4 she didn’t think there was anything the talented actor couldn’t do. Additionally, the actor never judged a role he was offered and she found that inspiring. Instead, he just performed the role to the best of his ability.

Rest in peace, Michael Gambon.

Allie Johnson
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