MADRID, September 28 (CultureLeisure) –
Actor Sir Michael Gambon has died in hospital at the age of 82, according to the BBC, citing sources close to the actor’s family. The British actor was known to the general public for playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight films in the Harry Potter saga.
His widow and son declared that their “beloved husband and father” had died peacefully and accompanied by his family after suffering from pneumonia.
Born in Dublin on October 19, 1940, Gambon began his career as one of the original members of London’s Royal National Theater and starred in several Shakespeare plays.
His first film role came in 1965 precisely in an adaptation of the legendary British author, Othello, in which, directed by Stuart Burge, he had a small role sharing shots with figures such as Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith and Joyce Redman.
In his long career, in which he alternated theater, film and television, Gambon also appeared in such popular films as The King’s Speech, Sleepy Hollow, The Dilemma, The Good Shepherd, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Prophecy and Life Aquatic.
He achieved worldwide fame as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter saga where he replaced Richard Harris, who was the first chosen to play the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the franchise based on the novels by J.K. Rowling.
But after playing the veteran and wise wizard in the first two films, Harris died on October 25, 2002, a few days before the premiere of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and was replaced by Michael Gambon, who made the character completely his own. until the last installment of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, which was released in 2011.
On the small screen, Gambon also accumulated a good handful of titles that brought him, in addition to popularity, multiple recognitions, including four BAFTA awards. The first was won in 1987 for his work as the protagonist of the BBC miniseries The Singing Detective and the last in 2002 for his performance in the comedy-drama Perfect Strangers.
In 1998, despite being a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, Queen Elizabeth II granted him the title of Knight of the British Empire in recognition of his enormous contribution to the world of the arts from his interpretive side.
