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