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Michael Gambon

Michael Gambon

Acting

Born: October 19, 1940Cabra, Dublin, Ireland

Sir Michael John Gambon (October 19, 1940 – September 27, 2023) 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 and four BAFTA TV Awards. In 1998, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama. Gambon appeared in many productions of works by William Shakespeare such as Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and Coriolanus. Gambon was nominated for thirteen Olivier Awards, winning three times for A Chorus of Disapproval (1985), A View from the Bridge (1987), and Man of the Moment (1990). In 1997, Gambon made his Broadway debut in David Hare's Skylight, earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination. Gambon made his film debut in Othello (1965). His other notable films include The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), The Wings of the Dove (1997), The Insider (1999), Gosford Park (2001), Amazing Grace (2006), The King's Speech (2010), Quartet (2012), and Victoria & Abdul (2017). Gambon also appeared in the Wes Anderson films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). Gambon gained wider recognition through his role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series from 2004 to 2011, replacing Richard Harris following his death in 2002. For his work on television, he received four BAFTA Awards for The Singing Detective (1986), Wives and Daughters (1999), Longitude (2000), and Perfect Strangers (2001). He also received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Path to War (2002) and Emma (2009). Gambon's other notable projects include Cranford (2007) and The Casual Vacancy (2015). In 2017, he received the Irish Film & Television Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020, he was listed at No. 27 on The Irish Times's list of Ireland's greatest film actors.

Known For
Filmography
Doctor Who at the Proms

Doctor Who at the Proms

Kazran Sardick (archive footage)

2024
Judy

Judy

Bernard Delfont

2019
Cordelia

Cordelia

Mr. Moses

2019
The Death & Life of John F. Donovan

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan

Man in Diner

2019
Johnny English Strikes Again

Johnny English Strikes Again

Agent Five

2018
King of Thieves

King of Thieves

Billy 'The Fish' Lincoln

2018
Citizen Lane

Citizen Lane

Lord Ardilaun

2018
The Last Witness

The Last Witness

Frank Hamilton

2018
Paddington 2

Paddington 2

Uncle Pastuzo (voice)

2017
Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Arthur

2017
Victoria & Abdul

Victoria & Abdul

Lord Salisbury

2017
Mad to Be Normal

Mad to Be Normal

Sidney Kotok

2017
Viceroy's House

Viceroy's House

General Hastings Ismay

2017
Churchill's Secret

Churchill's Secret

Winston Churchill

2016
Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caesar!

Narrator (voice)

2016
Dad's Army

Dad's Army

Private Godfrey

2016
Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC

Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC

Self (archive footage)

2015
Unity

Unity

Narrator (voice)

2015
On Angel Wings

On Angel Wings

Grandfather

2014
Paddington

Paddington

Uncle Pastuzo (voice)

2014
Common

Common

Judge

2014
Lucan

Lucan

John Burke

2013
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

Hirst

2013
Muse of Fire

Muse of Fire

Self

2013
Quartet

Quartet

Cedric Livingston

2012
London: The Modern Babylon

London: The Modern Babylon

Self (voice)

2012
When Harry Left Hogwarts

When Harry Left Hogwarts

Self

2011
Page Eight

Page Eight

Benedict Baron

2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Albus Dumbledore

2011
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

Old Kazran / Elliot Sardick

2010
The King's Speech

The King's Speech

King George V

2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Albus Dumbledore

2010
The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli

George

2010
Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Franklin Bean (voice)

2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Albus Dumbledore

2009
Brideshead Revisited

Brideshead Revisited

Lord Marchmain

2008
Joe's Palace

Joe's Palace

Elliot Graham

2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Albus Dumbledore

2007
The Alps - Climb of Your Life

The Alps - Climb of Your Life

Narrator (voice)

2007
Celebration

Celebration

Lambert

2007
The Baker

The Baker

Leo

2007
The Good Night

The Good Night

Alan Weigert

2007
The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

Dr. Fredericks

2006
John Duffy's Brother

John Duffy's Brother

Narrator

2006
Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

Lord Charles Fox

2006
The Omen

The Omen

Bugenhagen

2006
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Albus Dumbledore

2005
Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal

Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal

Self

2005
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Oseary Drakoulias

2004
Stories of Lost Souls

Stories of Lost Souls

Larry

2004
Layer Cake

Layer Cake

Eddie Temple

2004
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Paley

2004
Being Julia

Being Julia

Jimmie Langton

2004
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter

The Magic Touch of Harry Potter

Self

2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Albus Dumbledore

2004
Little Wolf's Book of Badness

Little Wolf's Book of Badness

Uncle Bigbad (voice)

2003
Path to War

Path to War

Lyndon Johnson

2003
Top Gear: Back in the Fast Lane

Top Gear: Back in the Fast Lane

Self

2003
Sylvia

Sylvia

Professor Thomas

2003
Open Range

Open Range

Denton Baxter

2003
Deep Blue

Deep Blue

Narrator (voice)

2003
The Actors

The Actors

Barreller

2003
The Making of Gosford Park

The Making of Gosford Park

Self

2002
Ali G Indahouse

Ali G Indahouse

Prime Minister

2002
Charlotte Gray

Charlotte Gray

Levade

2001
Gosford Park

Gosford Park

William McCordle

2001
Christmas Carol: The Movie

Christmas Carol: The Movie

Ghost of Christmas Present (voice)

2001
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love

Self

2001
High Heels and Low Lifes

High Heels and Low Lifes

Kerrigan

2001
Endgame

Endgame

Hamm

2000
Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend

Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend

Self

2000
The Last September

The Last September

Sir Richard Naylor

2000
Longitude

Longitude

John Harrison

2000
Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow

Baltus Van Tassel

1999
The Insider

The Insider

Thomas Sandefur

1999
Plunkett & Macleane

Plunkett & Macleane

Lord Gibson

1999
Dead on Time

Dead on Time

Maurice Silverman

1999
Dancing at Lughnasa

Dancing at Lughnasa

Father Jack Mundy

1998

A Roll of the Dice: The Capeman on Broadway

Narrator (voice)

1998
The Gambler

The Gambler

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

1997
The Wings of the Dove

The Wings of the Dove

Lionel Croy

1997
The Willows in Winter

The Willows in Winter

Badger

1996
Nothing Personal

Nothing Personal

Leonard

1996
Midnight in Saint Petersburg

Midnight in Saint Petersburg

Alex

1996
Two Deaths

Two Deaths

Daniel Pavenic

1996
Mary Reilly

Mary Reilly

Mary’s Father

1996
The Innocent Sleep

The Innocent Sleep

Det. Insp. Matheson

1996
The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows

Badger

1995
Bullet to Beijing

Bullet to Beijing

Alexei

1995
A Man of No Importance

A Man of No Importance

Ivor J. Carney

1994
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale

Sir George

1994
The Browning Version

The Browning Version

Dr. Frobisher

1994
Clean Slate

Clean Slate

Cornell

1994
The Entertainer

The Entertainer

Archie Rice

1993
Toys

Toys

General Zevo

1992
Mobsters

Mobsters

Don Salvatore Faranzano

1991
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

Albert Spica

1989
A Dry White Season

A Dry White Season

Magistrate

1989
The Heat of the Day

The Heat of the Day

Harrison

1989
The Rachel Papers

The Rachel Papers

Doctor Knowd

1989
Paris by Night

Paris by Night

Gerald Paige

1989
Monster Maker

Monster Maker

Ultragorgon(voice)

1989
Monster Maker

Monster Maker

Ultragorgon

1989
Mountain Language

Mountain Language

Sergeant

1988
Missing Link

Missing Link

Narrator (voice)

1988
Ghosts

Ghosts

Pastor Manders

1987
Turtle Diary

Turtle Diary

George Fairbairn

1985
Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie

Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie

1985
Absurd Person Singular

Absurd Person Singular

Geoffrey

1985

The Breadwinner

Charles Battle

1982
One of These Nights I'm Gonna Get an Early Day

One of These Nights I'm Gonna Get an Early Day

Kenny

1978

The Seagull

Trigorin

1978
French Without Tears

French Without Tears

Lt Cmdr Rogers

1976
Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Piers

1976
In the Labyrinth

In the Labyrinth

Duncan Harrison

1976
The Other Woman

The Other Woman

Robin

1976

The Secret Agent

Tom Ossipon

1975
Bold Face: Condensed

Bold Face: Condensed

John

1974
The Beast Must Die

The Beast Must Die

Jan Jarmokowski

1974
The Catholics

The Catholics

Brother Kevin

1973
Nothing But the Night

Nothing But the Night

Insp. Grant

1973
Cows

Cows

Max

1972
A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Theseus

1971
Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Gregory

1967
Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing

Other Watchman

1967
Othello

Othello

Senators-Soldiers-Cypriots

1965
Othello

Othello

1965