“Harry Potter” actor Michael Gambon has passed away at age 82. Gambon starred in the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, endearing him to fans as the teacher and sacrificial hero who worked alongside Harry Potter throughout the films. His publicist confirmed the news in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Gambon’s publicist 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.”
Gambon kept himself busy in his later years by collecting cars and vintage guns. After being born in Ireland and moving to England, a fascination with machinery led him to his love for firearms and automobiles.
He spoke to the Guardian about that hobby, saying, “I’ve always been an obsessive collector of things. Richard Briers collects stamps. I collect cars and guns, which are much more expensive and much more difficult to store.”
Plenty of folks in the “Harry Potter” community took to social media to share their feeling about Gambon and to mourn the passing of such an impactful actor. Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the series, said, “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. Sending all my love to his family.”
James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley, shared a story about his time working with Gambon. “I spent many hours with Michael during the shoot. He was always very funny and very welcoming to share any knowledge he had. One day we were shooting Dumbledore’s final clock tower scene, obviously quite an intense scene.”
“In between set ups Michael asked what I was up to that weekend. As it happened my brother and I were reading Peter and the Wolf with the Manchester Halle orchestra. “Do you have the script with you?” He asked, I did, “I’ve done that, let’s got through it and if you like I can give some notes”. So we spent what should have been his downtime going over my weekend gig. It is a memory I’ve always had as one of the highlights of my HP days.”
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
Other actors poured out support for Gambon and shared hilarious stories of his trickster attitude and his willingness to have fun while still creating an acting performance that will be remembered for as long as time. A celebration like this from people who have known and worked closely with Gambon makes it apparently clear that he let an impact on this Earth that will be felt long after he is gone.
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