LONDON (AP) — Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was recognized to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” movies, has died, his publicist stated Thursday. He was 82.
An announcement by his household, issued by his publicist, stated he died following “a bout of pneumonia.”
“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,” his household stated.
No matter what position he took on in a profession that lasted greater than 5 many years, Gambon was at all times immediately recognizable by the deep and drawling tones of his voice. He was solid because the much-loved Dumbledore after the loss of life of his predecessor, Richard Harris, in 2002.
He as soon as acknowledged not having learn any of J. Okay. Rowling’s best-selling books, arguing that it was safer to observe the script quite than be too influenced by the books. That didn’t forestall him from embodying the spirit of Professor Dumbledore, the highly effective wizard who fought towards evil to guard his college students.
Although the Potter position raised Gambon’s worldwide profile and launched him to a brand new technology of followers, he had lengthy been acknowledged as one among Britain’s main actors. His work spanned TV, theater and radio, and he starred in dozens of movies from “Gosford Park” to “The King’s Speech” and the animated household film “Paddington.”
Gambon was knighted for companies to drama in 1998.
Born in Ireland on Oct. 19, 1940, Gambon was raised in London and initially educated as an engineer, following within the footsteps of his father. He made his theater debut in a manufacturing of “Othello” in Dublin.
In 1963 he obtained his first massive break with a minor position in “Hamlet,” the National Theatre Company’s opening manufacturing, beneath the directorship of the legendary Laurence Olivier.
Gambon quickly grew to become a distinguished stage actor and acquired crucial approval for his main efficiency in “Life of Galileo” directed by John Dexter. He was incessantly nominated for awards and gained the Laurence Olivier award 3 occasions and the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards twice.
A multi-talented actor, Gambon was additionally the recipient of 4 coveted British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards for his tv work.
He grew to become a family identify in Britain after his lead position within the 1986 BBC sequence “The Singing Detective,” written by Dennis Potter and regarded a traditional of British tv drama. Gambon gained the BAFTA for greatest actor for the position.
Gambon was versatile as an actor however as soon as advised the BBC of his desire for enjoying “villainous characters.” He performed gangster Eddie Temple within the British crime thriller “Layer Cake” — a evaluate of the movie by the New York Times referred to Gambon as “reliably excellent” — and a Satanic crime boss in Peter Greenaway’s “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.”
He additionally had a component as King George V within the 2010 drama movie “The King’s Speech.” In 2015 he returned to the works of J.Okay. Rowling, taking a number one position within the TV adaptation of her e-book “The Casual Vacancy.”
Gambon retired from the stage in 2015 after struggling to recollect his traces in entrance of an viewers on account of his advancing age. He as soon as advised the Sunday Times Magazine: “It’s a horrible thing to admit, but I can’t do it. It breaks my heart.”
The actor was at all times protecting when it got here to his non-public life. He married Anne Miller they usually had one son, Fergus. He later had two sons with set designer Philippa Hart.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”