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Actor Sir Michael Gambon, best known for playing Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter franchise, has died at age 82 following a bout of pneumonia. Winner of four BAFTA awards, Gambon had a storied six-decade career in TV, film, theatre, and radio.
After news of his passing came out, his Harry Potter castmates shared some moving tributes and stories of their time working with Gambon. Daniel Radcliffe, who played the title character, issued a statement calling Gambon “one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, but despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him is how much fun he had doing his job.”
“He was silly, irreverent and hilarious,” Radcliffe continued. “He loved his job, but never seemed defined by it. He was an incredible story and joke teller, and his habit of blurring the lines between fact and fiction when talking to journalists meant that he was also one of the most entertaining people with whom you could ever wish to do a press junket. I’m so sad to hear he has passed, but I am so grateful for the fact that I am one of the lucky people who got to work with him.”
Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, remembered her time alongside Gambon on set. “Kind kind kind Michael Gambon. You never took it too seriously but somehow delivered the most serious moments with all the gravitas. Thank you for showing us what it looks like to wear greatness lightly. We will miss you. xx,” she wrote in an Instagram story.
Meanwhile, Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, posted a tribute to Instagram with the message, “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.”
James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley, remembered how Gambon took the time to support him as a burgeoning actor. Upon learning that he and his brother Oliver were doing Peter and the Wolf with the Manchester Halle Orchestra, Gambon shared that he had once performed it, and offered to go over lines with them and give them notes. “We spent what should have been his downtime going over my weekend gig,” he recalled. “It is a memory that I’ve always had as one of the highlights of my HP days.”
Members of the senior cast also paid tribute to Gambon. Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, called him “magnificent” and reminisced about his extraordinary abilities. He wrote, “I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective—complex, vulnerable and utterly human.”
Actor Sir Michael Gambon, best known for playing Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter franchise, has died at age 82 following a bout of pneumonia.
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After news of his passing came out, his Harry Potter castmates shared some moving tributes and stories of their time working with Gambon.
View this post on Instagram
“One of the most brilliant, effortless actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, but despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him is how much fun he had doing his job.”
— Daniel Radcliffe
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
“Kind kind kind Michael Gambon. You never took it too seriously but somehow delivered the most serious moments with all the gravitas. Thank you for showing us what it looks like to wear greatness lightly. We will miss you. xx”
— Emma Watson
Magnificent Michael Gambon has died. I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective – complex, vulnerable and utterly human. The greatest thrill of being in the Potter films was that he knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me.
— Jason Isaacs (@jasonsfolly) September 28, 2023
h/t: [BBC]
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