Michael Gambon, the Irish-born actor knighted for his storied career on the stage and screen and who gained admiration from a new generation of moviegoers with his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight B次元官网网址淗arry PotterB次元官网网址� films, has died. He was 82.

A statement by his family, issued by his publicist Thursday, said the actor died following B次元官网网址渁 bout of pneumonia.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e 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,B次元官网网址� his family said.

While the Potter role raised GambonB次元官网网址檚 international profile and found him a huge audience, he had long been recognized as one of BritainB次元官网网址檚 leading actors. His work spanned TV, theater and radio, and he starred in dozens of films from B次元官网网址淕osford ParkB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淭he KingB次元官网网址檚 SpeechB次元官网网址� to the animated family movie B次元官网网址淧addington.B次元官网网址� He recently appeared in the Judy Garland biopic B次元官网网址淛udy,B次元官网网址� released in 2019.

Gambon was knighted for services to drama in 1998.

The role of the much loved Professor Dumbledore was initially played by another Irish-born actor, Richard Harris. When Harris died in 2002, after two of the films in the franchise had been made, Gambon took over and played the part from B次元官网网址淗arry Potter And The Prisoner of AzkabanB次元官网网址� through to B次元官网网址淗arry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2.B次元官网网址�

He once acknowledged not having read any of J. K RowlingB次元官网网址檚 best-selling books, arguing that it was safer to follow the script rather than be too influenced by the books. That didnB次元官网网址檛 prevent him from embodying the spirit of the powerful wizard who fought against evil to protect his students.

Fiona Shaw, who played Petunia Dursley in the B次元官网网址淗arry PotterB次元官网网址� series, recalled Gambon telling her how central acting was to his life.

B次元官网网址淗e did once say to me in a car B次元官网网址業 know I go on a lot about this and that, but actually, in the end, there is only actingB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� Shaw told the BBC on Thursday. B次元官网网址淚 think he was always pretending that he didnB次元官网网址檛 take it seriously, but he took it profoundly seriously.B次元官网网址�

Born in Dublin on Oct. 19, 1940, Gambon was raised in London and originally trained as an engineer, following in the footsteps of his father. He made his theater debut in a production of B次元官网网址淥thelloB次元官网网址� in Dublin.

In 1963 he got his first big break with a minor role in B次元官网网址淗amlet,B次元官网网址� the National Theatre CompanyB次元官网网址檚 opening production, under the directorship of the legendary Laurence Olivier.

Gambon soon became a distinguished stage actor and received critical acclaim for his leading performance in B次元官网网址淟ife of Galileo,B次元官网网址� directed by John Dexter. He was frequently nominated for awards and won the Laurence Olivier Award 3 times and the CriticsB次元官网网址� Circle Theatre Awards twice.

A multi-talented actor, Gambon was also the recipient of four coveted British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards for his television work.

He became a household name in Britain after his lead role in the 1986 BBC TV series B次元官网网址淭he Singing Detective,B次元官网网址� written by Dennis Potter and considered a classic of British television drama. Gambon won the BAFTA for best actor for the role.

Gambon was versatile as an actor but once told the BBC of his preference for playing B次元官网网址渧illainous characters.B次元官网网址� He played gangster Eddie Temple in the British crime thriller B次元官网网址淟ayer CakeB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� a review of the film by the New York Times referred to Gambon as B次元官网网址渞eliably excellentB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� and a Satanic crime boss in Peter GreenawayB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.B次元官网网址�

He also had a part as King George V in the 2010 drama film B次元官网网址淭he KingB次元官网网址檚 Speech.B次元官网网址� In 2015 he returned to the works of J.K. Rowling, taking a leading role in the TV adaptation of her non-Potter book B次元官网网址淭he Casual Vacancy.B次元官网网址�

Gambon retired from the stage in 2015 after struggling to remember his lines in front of an audience due to his advancing age. He once told the Sunday Times Magazine: B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a horrible thing to admit, but I canB次元官网网址檛 do it. It breaks my heart.B次元官网网址�

Gambon was always protective when it came to his private life. He married Anne Miller and they had one son, Fergus. He later had two sons with set designer Philippa Hart.

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