Michael Gambon
Born
October 19, 1940
Died
September 27, 2023 (82 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Cabra, Dublin, Ireland
Sir 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 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
Doctor Who at the Proms
Kazran Sardick (archive footage)
2024
Judy
Bernard Delfont
2019
Cordelia
Mr. Moses
2019
The Death & Life of John F. Donovan
Man in Diner
2019
Johnny English Strikes Again
Agent Five
2018
King of Thieves
Billy 'The Fish' Lincoln
2018
Citizen Lane
Lord Ardilaun
2018
The Last Witness
Frank Hamilton
2018
Little Women
Mr. Laurence · (3 episodes)
2017
Paddington 2
Uncle Pastuzo (voice)
2017
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Arthur
2017
Victoria & Abdul
Lord Salisbury
2017
Fearless
Sir Alistair McKinnon · (6 episodes)
2017
Mad to Be Normal
Sidney Kotok
2017
Viceroy's House
General Hastings Ismay
2017
Churchill's Secret
Winston Churchill
2016
Dad's Army
Private Godfrey
2016
Hail, Caesar!
Narrator (voice)
2016
The Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells
Elderly Philosopher · (1 episode)
2016
Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
2015
Unity
Narrator (voice)
2015
The Casual Vacancy
Howard Mollison · (3 episodes)
2015
Fortitude
Henry Tyson · (11 episodes)
2015
On Angel Wings
Grandfather
2014
Paddington
Uncle Pastuzo (voice)
2014
Common
Judge
2014
Quirke
Judge Garret Griffin · (3 episodes)
2014
Lucan
John Burke
2013
Lucan
John Burke · (1 episode)
2013
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
Hirst
2013
Muse of Fire
Self
2013
The Frame
Professor Albus Dumbledore · (1 episode)
2013
Restless
Baron Mansfield / Lucas Romer · (2 episodes)
2012
Quartet
Cedric Livingston
2012
London: The Modern Babylon
Self (voice)
2012
The Hollow Crown
Mortimer · (1 episode)
2012
Luck
Michael · (9 episodes)
2012
When Harry Left Hogwarts
Self
2011
Page Eight
Benedict Baron
2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Albus Dumbledore
2011
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol
Old Kazran / Elliot Sardick
2010
The King's Speech
King George V
2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Albus Dumbledore
2010
The Michael Ball Show
Self · (1 episode)
2010
The Book of Eli
George
2010
Creating the World of Harry Potter
Self - 'Professor Albus Dumbledore' · (8 episodes)
2009
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Franklin Bean (voice)
2009
Emma
Mr. Woodhouse · (4 episodes)
2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Albus Dumbledore
2009
Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
Narrator · (1 episode)
2009
Brideshead Revisited
Lord Marchmain
2008
Cranford
Thomas Holbrook · (2 episodes)
2007
Joe's Palace
Elliot Graham
2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Albus Dumbledore
2007
The Alps - Climb of Your Life
Narrator (voice)
2007
Celebration
Lambert
2007
The Baker
Leo
2007
The Good Night
Alan Weigert
2007
The Good Shepherd
Dr. Fredericks
2006
John Duffy's Brother
Narrator
2006
Amazing Grace
Lord Charles Fox
2006
The Omen
Bugenhagen
2006
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Albus Dumbledore
2005
Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal
Self
2005
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Oseary Drakoulias
2004
Stories of Lost Souls
Larry
2004
Layer Cake
Eddie Temple
2004
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Paley
2004
Being Julia
Jimmie Langton
2004
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
Self
2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Albus Dumbledore
2004
Little Wolf's Book of Badness
Uncle Bigbad (voice)
2003
Angels in America
Prior Walter Ancestor #1 · (2 episodes)
2003
Path to War
Lyndon Johnson
2003
Top Gear: Back in the Fast Lane
Self
2003
Sylvia
Professor Thomas
2003
Open Range
Denton Baxter
2003
Deep Blue
Narrator (voice)
2003
The Actors
Barreller
2003
The Lost Prince
King Edward VII · (2 episodes)
2003
Top Gear
Self · (2 episodes)
2002
The Making of 'Gosford Park'
Self
2002
Ali G Indahouse
Prime Minister
2002
Charlotte Gray
Levade
2001
Gosford Park
William McCordle
2001
Christmas Carol: The Movie
Ghost of Christmas Present (voice)
2001
Richard & Judy
Self · (1 episode)
2001
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
Self
2001
High Heels and Low Lifes
Kerrigan
2001
Perfect Strangers
Raymond · (3 episodes)
2001
Endgame
Hamm
2000
Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend
Self
2000
The Last September
Sir Richard Naylor
2000
Longitude
John Harrison
2000
Longitude
John Harrison · (2 episodes)
2000
Wives and Daughters
Squire Hamley · (6 episodes)
1999
Sleepy Hollow
Baltus Van Tassel
1999
The Insider
Thomas Sandefur
1999
Plunkett & MacLeane
Lord Gibson
1999
Dead on Time
Maurice Silverman
1999
Dancing at Lughnasa
Father Jack Mundy
1998
A Roll of the Dice: The Capeman on Broadway
Narrator (voice)
1998
The Gambler
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
1997
The Wings of the Dove
Lionel Croy
1997
The Willows in Winter
Badger
1996
Samson and Delilah
King Hamun
1996
Samson and Delilah
Re Hamun · (2 episodes)
1996
Nothing Personal
Leonard
1996
Midnight in Saint Petersburg
Alex
1996
Two Deaths
Daniel Pavenic
1996
Mary Reilly
Mary’s Father
1996
The Innocent Sleep
Det. Insp. Matheson
1996
The Wind in the Willows
Badger
1995
Bullet to Beijing
Alexei
1995
A Man of No Importance
Ivor J. Carney
1994
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale
Sir George
1994
Faith
Peter John Moreton · (2 episodes)
1994
Room 101
Self · (1 episode)
1994
The Browning Version
Dr. Frobisher
1994
Clean Slate
Cornell
1994
The Entertainer
Archie Rice
1993
GMTV
Self · (1 episode)
1993
Toys
General Zevo
1992
Maigret
Chief Inspector Maigret · (12 episodes)
1992
The Storyteller: Greek Myths
The Storyteller · (4 episodes)
1991
Performance
Archie Rice · (1 episode)
1991
Mobsters
Don Salvatore Faranzano
1991
Have I Got News for You
Self · (1 episode)
1990
About Face
(1 episode)
1989
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
Albert Spica
1989
A Dry White Season
Magistrate
1989
The Heat of the Day
Harrison
1989
The Rachel Papers
Doctor Knowd
1989
Paris by Night
Gerald Paige
1989
The Jim Henson Hour
Ultragorgon (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
Monster Maker
Ultragorgon
1989
Monster Maker
Ultragorgon(voice)
1989
Mountain Language
Sergeant
1988
Missing Link
Narrator (voice)
1988
The Dame Edna Experience
Self · (1 episode)
1987
Ghosts
Pastor Manders
1987
The Singing Detective
Philip Marlow · (6 episodes)
1986
Turtle Diary
George Fairbairn
1985
Theatre Night
Pastor Manders · (1 episode)
1985
Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie
1985
Oscar
Oscar Wilde · (3 episodes)
1985
Absurd Person Singular
Geoffrey
1985
The Breadwinner
Charles Battle
1982
Bergerac
Jarvis McLeod · (1 episode)
1981
Minder
Tommy Hambury · (1 episode)
1979
Tales of the Unexpected
Andrew · (1 episode)
1979
One of These Nights I'm Gonna Get an Early Day
Kenny
1978
The Seagull
Trigorin
1978
The Other One
Brian Bryant · (13 episodes)
1977
French Without Tears
Lt Cmdr Rogers
1976
Tiptoe Through the Tulips
Piers
1976
In the Labyrinth
Duncan Harrison
1976
The Other Woman
Robin
1976
The Secret Agent
1975
Bold Face: Condensed
John
1974
The Beast Must Die
Jan Jarmokowski
1974
The Catholics
Brother Kevin
1973
Nothing But the Night
Insp. Grant
1973
Arthur of the Britons
Roland · (1 episode)
1972
Cows
Max
1972
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Theseus
1971
Great Performances
Self · (1 episode)
1971
Play for Today
Piers · (1 episode)
1970
Play for Today
Max · (1 episode)
1970
Play for Today
Robin · (1 episode)
1970
Softly Softly: Task Force
Cranley · (1 episode)
1969
The Borderers
Gavin Ker · (26 episodes)
1968
Omnibus
Self · (1 episode)
1967
Romeo and Juliet
Gregory
1967
Much Ado About Nothing
Other Watchman
1967
Softly, Softly
(1 episode)
1966
Othello
1965
Othello
Senators-Soldiers-Cypriots
1965
BBC Play of the Month
Gregory · (1 episode)
1965
BBC Play of the Month
Theseus · (1 episode)
1965
BBC Play of the Month
Lt. Cmdr. Bill Rogers · (1 episode)
1965
BBC Play of the Month
Boris Trigorin · (1 episode)
1965
Public Eye
(1 episode)
1965
The BAFTA Awards
Self - Winner · (2 episodes)
1949