“Expecto Patronum,” the one guardian who protects every character in the Harry Potter universe, whether in the form of a doe or a rat, had given every character their charm. Dumbledore was not anyone’s Patronus Charm but the father figure who protected everyone and even gave up his life fighting Voldermort for Harry.
The man unfortunately finally lost his battle with real life on September 28, 2023, at the age of 82. The Irish actor known for his stage presence in Laurence Olivier has also been one of the core members of the Royal National Theatre. Acting for over 60 years, the ‘Path to War’ actor has received three Olivier Awards, two Screen Actor Guild Awards, and four BAFTA Awards among innumerable nominations.
An Irish by origin, he was born on October 19, 1940, in Cabra, Ireland, to traditional Irish parents. Ralph Richardson called him “The Great Gambon,” and in an official public statement issued on Thursday, his family mentions, “peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia,” reports The Hollywood Reporter.
It further mentions how his career has been bright, “Gambon was nominated 13 times for an Olivier Award, winning in 1986 and ’90 for Alan Ayckbourn’s A Chorus of Disapproval and Man of the Moment, respectively, and in 1988 for Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge.”
He is also known for his prominent works in the Harry Potter series, The King’s Speech, Layer Cake, Open Range, Page Eight, and more. He also received an award for his work in Skylight, where he played the role of a widower, and then a Tony Award Nomination for his work on Broadway, which even reached New York.
I've just heard the awful news about Michael Gambon. The first time I ever laid eyes on him was in King Lear, in 1982, and if you'd told me then that brilliant actor would appear in anything I'd written, I'd have thought you were insane. Michael was a wonderful man in additional…
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 28, 2023
The Hollywood Reporter also mentions, “Because of memory loss, Gambon retired from the stage in 2015 but continued to work onscreen in the culmination of a brilliant career that spanned seven decades. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his services to drama in 1998.”
He also started taking films and went Global when his name reached the United States of America where he played the role of Philip Marlow a bedridden mystery writer, and became a part of 6 part mystery series The Singing Detective. This fun-loving and jolly person took the role of Dumbledore in 2004 after Richard Harris died from Hodgkin’s disease.
While his initial approach was subtle, his presence in the third part, Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban, made people fall in love with his character. When he breathed his last, his PA and publicist Clair Dibbs mentioned, “We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon,” the family members also added, “We ask that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love.” says CNN. Rupert Grint, who played the role of Robert Weasley, took to Instagram and mentioned. “So sad to hear about Michael. He brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set. He captivated me as a kid and became a personal role model of mine for finding the fun and eccentricities in life.”
Very sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Gambon. He was, on and off the camera, a legend. Just a little memory of Michael pic.twitter.com/4M6E6inWMy
— James Phelps (@James_Phelps) September 28, 2023
James Phelps, who plays the role of Weasley’s brother, says, “Very sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Gambon. He was, on and off the camera, a legend.” He did some great work and inspired many young actors. His on-stage presence in 51 movies and innumerable plays and an inspiring family life. In the end, the legend left us with this quote from Harry Potter, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”