Harry Potter’s Dumbledore Actor Michael Gambon Passes Away at 82

Michael Gambon, who played Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, has passed away at 82.

The news was reported by the BBC and several different outlets. Gambon’s widow and son revealed he’d died in hospital after a battle with pneumonia.

Gambon first played Dumbledore in 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, taking up the role from Richard Harris, who passed away in 2002. From there, Gambon went on to star in the subsequent five movies in the Harry Potter film series. In the years following the end of that series, Gambon featured in such projects as Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Padding 2, and Fortitude.

Outside of his role as Dumbledore, Gambon had roles in 2010’s The King’s Speech, The Omen, and The Singing Detective. Over the course of his career, he received several high-profile awards, including Olivier, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA awards. On numerous other occasions, Gambon was nominated for awards. In 1998, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, making him a member of the Order of the British Empire.

Several actors have posted tributes to the actor online. I’ve included ones from Jared Harris, who is the son of Richard Harris, below alongside one from James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley in the Harry Potter movies.

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 Brando as my father’s favourite actor. https://t.co/BMGDDTtM2w

— Jared Harris🎭 (@JaredHarris) September 28, 2023

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