Michael Gambon born Michael John Gambon was an Irish-English actor. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre.
Over his six-decade-long career, he received three Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four BAFTA Awards.
In 1998, Michael Gambon was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.
Who was Michael Gambon?
Michael Gambon was born in the Cabra suburb of Dublin on 19 October 1940. His mother, Mary (née Hoare), was a seamstress, while his father, Edward Gambon, was an engineering operative during World War II.
His father decided to seek work in the rebuilding of London, and moved the family to Mornington Crescent in London’s Camden borough when Gambon was six.
His father arranged for him to be made a British citizen, a decision that would later allow him to receive a substantive (rather than honorary) knighthood.
Brought up as a strict Catholic, he attended St Aloysius Boys’ School in Somers Town and served at the altar. He then matriculated to St Aloysius’ College in Highgate, whose former pupils include actor Peter Sellers.
He later moved to North End, Kent, where he attended Crayford Secondary School but left with no qualifications at the age of 15.
He then gained an apprenticeship as a toolmaker with Vickers-Armstrong. By the time he was 21, he was a qualified engineering technician.
He kept the job for a further year, acquiring a lifelong passion for collecting antique guns, clocks, watches and classic cars.
Career
Michael Gambon got entry into Dublin’s ‘Gate Theater’ by writing a letter, along with a CV that described an imaginary stage career. He made his theater debut in 1962 with a small part in ‘Gate Theater’s’ ‘Othello.
Later, Sir Laurence Oliver noticed him and picked him for his new ‘National Theater Company.’ He played a number of character roles in various ‘NT productions’ under directors like John Dexter and William Gaskell.
He joined the ‘Birmingham Repertory Company’ in 1967 and got the chance to play title roles in the Shakespearean classics like ‘Othello,’ ‘Macbeth,’ and ‘Coriolanus.’
He began his film journey in 1965, with Laurence Oliver’s ‘Othello.’ From 1968 to 1970, he played a romantic hero in the BBC TV series ‘The Borderer.’ [At that point, he was considered for the role of ‘James Bond,’ but was dismissed as he was not a known name.]
His theater-work was first appreciated in the 1974 play ‘The Norman Conquests,’ which was directed by Alan Aychbourn. This was followed by ‘National Theater’s’ ‘Betrayal’ in which his subtle performance earned admiration. His strong stage presence and powerful performance won him praise in the 1980 Brecht play, ‘The Life of Galileo,’ directed by John Dexter.
He received many accolades for ‘King Lear’ and other plays, such as Pinter’s ‘Old Times,’ ‘Mountain Language,’ and ‘Volpone.’ In 1995, his performance in David Hare’s ‘Skylight’ brought him a lot of appreciation. It first opened at the ‘National Theater,’ then played at the ‘Wyndham’s Theater,’ and later it ran for 4 months at the ‘Broadway.
Michael Gambon gained popularity and awards with Dennis Potter’s 1986 miniseries ‘The Singing Detective.’ He essayed interesting roles in several films, including the controversial film with Helen Mirren, ‘The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover,’ Barry Levinson’s ‘Toys’ (1992), Kāroly Makk’s ‘The Gambler’ (1997), ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ (1998), ‘Sleepy Hollow’ (1999) among others.
Michael Gambon’s noteworthy work for TV includes his award-winning performance in the series ‘Wives and Daughters’ (1999), TV adaptation of Beckett’s ‘Endgame’ (2001), a comedy role in ‘Perfect Strangers’ (2001) among others. His portrayal of ‘President Lyndon B. Johnson’ in the 2002 TV movie ‘Path to War’ earned him prominent nominations.
On stage, he essayed the role of ‘Davies’ in Patrick Marber’s 2001 production ‘The Caretaker,’ and in 2002, he co-starred with Daniel Craig in Caryl Churchill’s ‘A Number.’ He continued his theater work and appeared in several productions, including ‘Endgame’ (2004), ‘Henry IV, Part 1 and 2’ (2005), ‘No Man’s Land’ (2008), ‘All That Fall’ (2012) among others.
The role that made him famous worldwide is that of ‘Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwart,’ in J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ franchise.
After the death of Richard Harris, who originally essayed that role, Gambon took over the role in the third installment of the series, ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.’ He reprised the role in all the last 5 ‘Harry Potter’ movies.
Michael Gambon Cause of Death
Michael Gambon died in Witham on 27 September 2023, aged 82, after suffering from pneumonia.
statement on behalf of his wife, Lady Gambon, and son, Fergus, issued by publicist Clair Dobbs, said:
“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, following a bout of pneumonia. Michael was 82. We ask that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love.”
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