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Sir Michael Gambon (born October 19, 1940) is an actor perhaps best known
worldwide for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the two latest Harry Potter
films; he is also a Samuel Beckett scholar. He was born in Dublin, Ireland,
and emigrated with his family to the United Kingdom in 1945 (to Camden Town,
London) at the age of 5. He attended Catholic school. His father was a
policeman for a period of time.
He made his film debut in the Laurence Olivier Othello in 1965. He then
played romantic leads, notably in the early 1970s BBC television series, The
Borderers, in which he was swashbuckling Gavin Ker.
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However, his craggy looks soon made him into a character actor, and it was
not until Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective (1986) that he became a
household name. Even after this success, for which he won a BAFTA award, his
career was patchy, with big hits such as the 1989 film, The Cook, The Thief,
His Wife and Her Lover, which also starred Helen Mirren long before he was
knighted, interspersed with less notable work.
In 1992 he starred as Georges Simenon's detective Inspector Jules Maigret in
an ITV adaptation of Simenon's series of books. He starred as Fyodor
Dostoyevsky in the Hungarian director Károly Makk's movie The Gambler (1997)
about the writing of Dostoyevsky's novella The Gambler.
In recent years, films such as Dancing at Lughnasa (1998) and Plunkett and
Macleane (1998), as well as television appearances in series such as Wives
and Daughters (1999) (for which he won another BAFTA), a made-for-TV
adaptation of Beckett's Endgame (2001) and Perfect Strangers (2001), have
made him one of Britain's most sought-after actors, as well as revealing his
talent for comedy.
In 2004, he proved his versatility by appearing in five motion picture
releases, including Wes Anderson's quirky comedy The Life Aquatic with Steve
Zissou; the British gangster flick Layer Cake; theatrical drama Being Julia;
and CGI action fantasy Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Perhaps his
most significant role in 2004, however, was Albus Dumbledore, Hogwart's
headmaster in the third installment of JK Rowling's franchise, Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban, taking over from the late Irish actor Richard
Harris.
He has also recently appeared on the BBC's Top Gear programme in which he
launched a Suzuki Liana airborne off the final corner. The final corner of
the track at Dunsfold Park has now been named 'Gambon' after this feat.
He reprised the role of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire, which was released in November 2005 in the US and UK.
During his career, Gambon has appeared in film, television and theatre with
an alumni of highly regarded actors, directors and writers: Maggie Smith,
Miranda Richardson, Dennis Potter and Derek Jacobi have all appeared
alongside the 'Great Gambon' on multiple occasions.
Sir Michael Gambon is not married. |
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MICHAEL GAMBON PICTURES |
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