‘Harry Potter’ Dumbledore Actor, Michael Gambon, Dies at Age 82
Actor Michael Gambon, widely recognized for his portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in most of the Harry Potter film series, has passed away at the age of 82 after a battle with pneumonia. This sad news was confirmed through a statement released on behalf of his family reported by multiple sources on Thursday.
Gambon had an impressive career in TV, film, and radio, with one of his standout roles being the detective with psoriasis in the 1980s series, The Singing Detective. But it’s his portrayal of Hogwarts’ headmaster, Dumbledore, in the Harry Potter film series that he’ll be best remembered for, a role he took on after the passing of Richard Harris in 2002. In total, Gambon played Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films.
“He was, on and off the camera, a legend.”
Actor James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, paid tribute to Gambon on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. “Very sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Gambon. He was, on and off the camera, a legend,” Phelps wrote.
“He was always very funny and very welcoming to share any knowledge he had,” Phelps added, recalling a memory of his interactions with the actor during the production of the sixth Harry Potter movie.
Jared Harris, known for his role in The Crown and whose father was the original Dumbledore, shared on X: “Hilarious! A brilliant actor. I saw him on stage several times, and he lives unforgettably in my memory.”
“He took over Dumbledore from my father, which was fitting as he over took [Marlon] Brando as my father’s favourite actor,” Harris further commented.
Gambon grew up in an Irish immigrant community in Camden, and his first job was as an apprentice toolmaker. He had a lifelong passion for antique guns, clocks, and classic cars, as reported by IMDb. Throughout his career, Gambon won multiple Best Actor awards at the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs) and received two Emmy award nominations.
Celebrity Deaths 2023: Musicians, Entertainers & Cultural Figures We Lost
We’ve had to say goodbye to some big names this year in the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics and beyond. To be frank, it was an absolutely brutal year.
So many giants in music died in 2023. Guitar god Jeff Beck died suddenly in January at age 78 after contracting bacterial meningitis. In February, legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach died at age 94. Singer, actor and civil rights icon Harry Belafonte died in April at age 96 from congestive heart failure. In May, the world lost Tina Turner – the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll – at age 83. Iconic pop singer Tony Bennett died in July at age 96.
The worlds of television and film were not immune to significant loss in 2023. Sitcom mastermind Norman Lear died in December at age 101. Three’s Company star Suzanne Somers died in October at age 76 from an aggressive form of breast cancer. Matthew Perry also died in October. The Friends star was only 54. Bob Barker, longtime host of The Price is Right, died in August at age 99. Paul Reubens, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, died in July at age 70 following a private battle with cancer.
The sports world was rocked by the deaths of three major wrestling figures. In June, The Iron Sheik (Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri) died at age 81. Then, in August, there were two back-to-back deaths. First, WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk died at age 79. Funk’s hardcore style has been influential to generations of wrestlers that followed. Then, Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda) suddenly died at age 36. The young wrestler died after contracting COVID, which exacerbated a heart issue and led to a heart attack.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the musicians, celebrities and other cultural figures we’ve lost in 2023.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
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