Michael Gambon

October 19, 1940(82 at death)|Died September 27, 2023
Cabra, Dublin, Ireland|Acting

Biography

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.

Movies (125)

Doctor Who at the Proms
7.2

Doctor Who at the Proms

2024

Judy
6.7

Judy

2019

Cordelia
5.1

Cordelia

2019

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan
6.9

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan

2019

Johnny English Strikes Again
6.3

Johnny English Strikes Again

2018

King of Thieves
5.5

King of Thieves

2018

Citizen Lane
7.0

Citizen Lane

2018

The Last Witness
5.8

The Last Witness

2018

Paddington 2
7.5

Paddington 2

2017

Kingsman: The Golden Circle
6.9

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

2017

Victoria & Abdul
6.9

Victoria & Abdul

2017

Mad to Be Normal
5.9

Mad to Be Normal

2017

Viceroy's House
6.6

Viceroy's House

2017

Churchill's Secret
6.3

Churchill's Secret

2016

Dad's Army
5.0

Dad's Army

2016

Hail, Caesar!
5.9

Hail, Caesar!

2016

Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC

Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC

2015

Unity
7.5

Unity

2015

On Angel Wings
3.0

On Angel Wings

2014

Paddington
7.1

Paddington

2014

Common
6.5

Common

2014

Lucan
6.0

Lucan

2013

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
6.2

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

2013

Muse of Fire
6.5

Muse of Fire

2013

Quartet
6.5

Quartet

2012

London: The Modern Babylon
6.4

London: The Modern Babylon

2012

When Harry Left Hogwarts
7.2

When Harry Left Hogwarts

2011

Page Eight
6.6

Page Eight

2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
8.1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

2011

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol
7.9

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

2010

The King's Speech
7.7

The King's Speech

2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
7.7

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

2010

The Book of Eli
6.8

The Book of Eli

2010

Fantastic Mr. Fox
7.8

Fantastic Mr. Fox

2009

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7.7

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009

Brideshead Revisited
6.3

Brideshead Revisited

2008

Joe's Palace
5.9

Joe's Palace

2007

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
7.7

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2007

The Alps - Climb of Your Life
6.8

The Alps - Climb of Your Life

2007

Celebration
6.3

Celebration

2007

The Baker
6.4

The Baker

2007

The Good Night
5.3

The Good Night

2007

The Good Shepherd
6.4

The Good Shepherd

2006

John Duffy's Brother

John Duffy's Brother

2006

Amazing Grace
6.9

Amazing Grace

2006

The Omen
5.7

The Omen

2006

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
7.8

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2005

Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal
6.4

Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal

2005

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
7.1

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

2004

Stories of Lost Souls
5.7

Stories of Lost Souls

2004

Layer Cake
6.9

Layer Cake

2004

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
5.9

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

2004

Being Julia
6.4

Being Julia

2004

The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
7.7

The Magic Touch of Harry Potter

2004

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
8.0

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2004

Little Wolf's Book of Badness
8.0

Little Wolf's Book of Badness

2003

Path to War
6.7

Path to War

2003

Top Gear: Back in the Fast Lane
6.5

Top Gear: Back in the Fast Lane

2003

Sylvia
5.8

Sylvia

2003

Open Range
7.2

Open Range

2003

Deep Blue
6.9

Deep Blue

2003

The Actors
5.6

The Actors

2003

Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film
10.0

Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film

2003

The Making of Gosford Park
5.3

The Making of Gosford Park

2002

Ali G Indahouse
6.1

Ali G Indahouse

2002

Charlotte Gray
6.2

Charlotte Gray

2001

Gosford Park
6.8

Gosford Park

2001

Christmas Carol: The Movie
5.2

Christmas Carol: The Movie

2001

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
8.0

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love

2001

High Heels and Low Lifes
6.1

High Heels and Low Lifes

2001

Endgame
7.3

Endgame

2000

Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend
7.1

Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend

2000

The Last September
5.2

The Last September

2000

Longitude
7.4

Longitude

2000

Sleepy Hollow
7.2

Sleepy Hollow

1999

The Insider
7.5

The Insider

1999

Plunkett & Macleane
6.1

Plunkett & Macleane

1999

Dead on Time
8.0

Dead on Time

1999

Dancing at Lughnasa
6.0

Dancing at Lughnasa

1998

The Gambler
4.8

The Gambler

1997

The Wings of the Dove
6.6

The Wings of the Dove

1997

The Willows in Winter
6.7

The Willows in Winter

1996

Nothing Personal
4.6

Nothing Personal

1996

Midnight in Saint Petersburg
5.2

Midnight in Saint Petersburg

1996

Two Deaths
5.6

Two Deaths

1996

Mary Reilly
5.8

Mary Reilly

1996

The Innocent Sleep
5.0

The Innocent Sleep

1996

The Wind in the Willows
7.0

The Wind in the Willows

1995

Bullet to Beijing
5.2

Bullet to Beijing

1995

A Man of No Importance
6.2

A Man of No Importance

1994

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale
6.8

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale

1994

The Browning Version
6.5

The Browning Version

1994

Clean Slate
5.8

Clean Slate

1994

The Entertainer
7.0

The Entertainer

1993

Toys
5.3

Toys

1992

Mobsters
6.2

Mobsters

1991

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
7.3

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

1989

A Dry White Season
6.7

A Dry White Season

1989

The Heat of the Day
8.0

The Heat of the Day

1989

The Rachel Papers
5.1

The Rachel Papers

1989

Paris by Night
4.8

Paris by Night

1989

Monster Maker
6.7

Monster Maker

1989

Monster Maker
6.7

Monster Maker

1989

Mountain Language
4.0

Mountain Language

1988

Missing Link
6.2

Missing Link

1988

Ghosts
7.0

Ghosts

1987

Turtle Diary
6.3

Turtle Diary

1985

Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie

Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie

1985

Absurd Person Singular
8.3

Absurd Person Singular

1985

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

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

1978

French Without Tears
7.0

French Without Tears

1976

Tiptoe Through the Tulips
8.0

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

1976

In the Labyrinth
9.0

In the Labyrinth

1976

The Other Woman
3.0

The Other Woman

1976

Bold Face: Condensed

Bold Face: Condensed

1974

The Beast Must Die
5.4

The Beast Must Die

1974

The Catholics
5.8

The Catholics

1973

Nothing But the Night
6.2

Nothing But the Night

1973

Cows
8.0

Cows

1972

A Midsummer Night's Dream
10.0

A Midsummer Night's Dream

1971

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

1967

Much Ado About Nothing
6.3

Much Ado About Nothing

1967

Othello
6.4

Othello

1965

Othello
6.4

Othello

1965

Blood Royal: William the Conqueror
10.0

Blood Royal: William the Conqueror

TV Shows (59)