Michael Gambon

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.

Known For

Top Gear

Minder

Great Performances

Play for Today

Play for Today

Play for Today

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

All Movies (129)

• Doctor Who at the Proms2024 · as Kazran Sardick (archive footage)
• Judy2019 · as Bernard Delfont
• Cordelia2019 · as Mr. Moses
• The Death & Life of John F. Donovan2019 · as Man in Diner
• Johnny English Strikes Again2018 · as Agent Five
• King of Thieves2018 · as Billy 'The Fish' Lincoln
• Citizen Lane2018 · as Lord Ardilaun
• The Last Witness2018 · as Frank Hamilton
• Paddington 22017 · as Uncle Pastuzo (voice)
• Kingsman: The Golden Circle2017 · as Arthur
• Victoria & Abdul2017 · as Lord Salisbury
• Mad to Be Normal2017 · as Sidney Kotok
• Viceroy's House2017 · as General Hastings Ismay
• Churchill's Secret2016 · as Winston Churchill
• Dad's Army2016 · as Private Godfrey
• Hail, Caesar!2016 · as Narrator (voice)
• Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC2015 · as Self (archive footage)
• Unity2015 · as Narrator (voice)
• On Angel Wings2014 · as Grandfather
• Paddington2014 · as Uncle Pastuzo (voice)
• Common2014 · as Judge
• Lucan2013 · as John Burke
• National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage2013 · as Hirst
• Muse of Fire2013 · as Self
• Quartet2012 · as Cedric Livingston
• London: The Modern Babylon2012 · as Self (voice)
• When Harry Left Hogwarts2011 · as Self
• Page Eight2011 · as Benedict Baron
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 22011 · as Albus Dumbledore
• Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol2010 · as Old Kazran / Elliot Sardick
• The King's Speech2010 · as King George V
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 12010 · as Albus Dumbledore
• The Book of Eli2010 · as George
• Fantastic Mr. Fox2009 · as Franklin Bean (voice)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince2009 · as Albus Dumbledore
• Brideshead Revisited2008 · as Lord Marchmain
• Joe's Palace2007 · as Elliot Graham
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix2007 · as Albus Dumbledore
• The Alps - Climb of Your Life2007 · as Narrator (voice)
• Celebration2007 · as Lambert
• The Baker2007 · as Leo
• The Good Night2007 · as Alan Weigert
• The Good Shepherd2006 · as Dr. Fredericks
• John Duffy's Brother2006 · as Narrator
• Amazing Grace2006 · as Lord Charles Fox
• The Omen2006 · as Bugenhagen
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire2005 · as Albus Dumbledore
• Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal2005 · as Self
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou2004 · as Oseary Drakoulias
• Stories of Lost Souls2004 · as Larry
• Layer Cake2004 · as Eddie Temple
• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow2004 · as Paley
• Being Julia2004 · as Jimmie Langton
• The Magic Touch of Harry Potter2004 · as Self
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban2004 · as Albus Dumbledore
• Little Wolf's Book of Badness2003 · as Uncle Bigbad (voice)
• Path to War2003 · as Lyndon Johnson
• Top Gear: Back in the Fast Lane2003 · as Self
• Sylvia2003 · as Professor Thomas
• Open Range2003 · as Denton Baxter
• Deep Blue2003 · as Narrator (voice)
• The Actors2003 · as Barreller
• Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film2003 · as Self - Hamm (archive footage)
• The Making of Gosford Park2002 · as Self
• Ali G Indahouse2002 · as Prime Minister
• Charlotte Gray2001 · as Levade
• Gosford Park2001 · as William McCordle
• Christmas Carol: The Movie2001 · as Ghost of Christmas Present (voice)
• Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love2001 · as Self
• High Heels and Low Lifes2001 · as Kerrigan
• Endgame2000 · as Hamm
• Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend2000 · as Self
• The Last September2000 · as Sir Richard Naylor
• Longitude2000 · as John Harrison
• Sleepy Hollow1999 · as Baltus Van Tassel
• The Insider1999 · as Thomas Sandefur
• Plunkett & Macleane1999 · as Lord Gibson
• Dead on Time1999 · as Maurice Silverman
• Dancing at Lughnasa1998 · as Father Jack Mundy
• A Roll of the Dice: The Capeman on Broadway1998 · as Narrator (voice)
• The Gambler1997 · as Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• The Wings of the Dove1997 · as Lionel Croy
• The Willows in Winter1996 · as Badger
• Nothing Personal1996 · as Leonard
• Midnight in Saint Petersburg1996 · as Alex
• Two Deaths1996 · as Daniel Pavenic
• Mary Reilly1996 · as Mary’s Father
• The Innocent Sleep1996 · as Det. Insp. Matheson
• The Wind in the Willows1995 · as Badger
• Bullet to Beijing1995 · as Alexei
• A Man of No Importance1994 · as Ivor J. Carney
• Squanto: A Warrior's Tale1994 · as Sir George
• The Browning Version1994 · as Dr. Frobisher
• Clean Slate1994 · as Cornell
• The Entertainer1993 · as Archie Rice
• Toys1992 · as General Zevo
• Mobsters1991 · as Don Salvatore Faranzano
• The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover1989 · as Albert Spica
• A Dry White Season1989 · as Magistrate
• The Heat of the Day1989 · as Harrison
• The Rachel Papers1989 · as Doctor Knowd
• Paris by Night1989 · as Gerald Paige
• Monster Maker1989 · as Ultragorgon
• Monster Maker1989 · as Ultragorgon(voice)
• Mountain Language1988 · as Sergeant
• Missing Link1988 · as Narrator (voice)
• Ghosts1987 · as Pastor Manders
• Turtle Diary1985 · as George Fairbairn
• Forbidden Passion: The Oscar Wilde Movie1985
• Absurd Person Singular1985 · as Geoffrey
• The Breadwinner1982 · as Charles Battle
• One of These Nights I'm Gonna Get an Early Day1978 · as Kenny
• The Seagull1978 · as Trigorin
• French Without Tears1976 · as Lt Cmdr Rogers
• Tiptoe Through the Tulips1976 · as Piers
• In the Labyrinth1976 · as Duncan Harrison
• The Other Woman1976 · as Robin
• The Secret Agent1975 · as Tom Ossipon
• Bold Face: Condensed1974 · as John
• The Beast Must Die1974 · as Jan Jarmokowski
• The Catholics1973 · as Brother Kevin
• Nothing But the Night1973 · as Insp. Grant
• Cows1972 · as Max
• A Midsummer Night's Dream1971 · as Theseus
• Romeo and Juliet1967 · as Gregory
• Much Ado About Nothing1967 · as Other Watchman
• Othello1965
• Othello1965 · as Senators-Soldiers-Cypriots
• Blood Royal: William the Conqueror— · as William I

All TV Shows (67)

• Little Women2017 · as Mr. Laurence
• Fearless2017 · as Sir Alistair McKinnon
• The Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells2016 · as Elderly Philosopher
• The Casual Vacancy2015 · as Howard Mollison
• Fortitude2015 · as Henry Tyson
• Quirke2014 · as Judge Garret Griffin
• Lucan2013 · as John Burke
• The Frame2013 · as Professor Albus Dumbledore
• Restless2012 · as Baron Mansfield / Lucas Romer
• The Hollow Crown2012 · as Mortimer
• Luck2012 · as Michael
• The Michael Ball Show2010 · as Self
• Emma2009 · as Mr. Woodhouse
• Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire2009 · as Narrator
• Cranford2007 · as Thomas Holbrook
• Angels in America2003 · as Prior Walter Ancestor #1 (uncredited)
• The Lost Prince2003 · as King Edward VII
• Top Gear2002 · as Self
• Richard & Judy2001 · as Self
• Perfect Strangers2001 · as Raymond
• Longitude2000 · as John Harrison
• Wives and Daughters1999 · as Squire Hamley
• Samson and Delilah1996 · as Re Hamun
• Faith1994 · as Peter John Moreton
• Room 1011994 · as Self
• GMTV1993 · as Self
• Maigret1992 · as Chief Inspector Maigret
• The Storyteller: Greek Myths1991 · as The Storyteller
• Performance1991 · as Archie Rice
• Have I Got News for You1990 · as Self
• About Face1989
• The Jim Henson Hour1989 · as Ultragorgon (voice)
• The Dame Edna Experience1987 · as Self
• The Singing Detective1986 · as Philip Marlow
• Theatre Night1985 · as Pastor Manders
• Oscar1985 · as Oscar Wilde
• Screen Two1985 · as Ivor J. Carney
• Bergerac1981 · as Jarvis McLeod
• Minder1979 · as Tommy Hambury
• Tales of the Unexpected1979 · as Andrew
• The Other One1977 · as Brian Bryant
• The Sunday Drama1977 · as David Patton
• Zodiac1974 · as Reuben Keiser
• Second City Firsts1973 · as John
• Orson Welles' Great Mysteries1973 · as Major Rolfe
• Centre Play1973 · as Duncan Harrison
• Arthur of the Britons1972 · as Roland
• Six Days of Justice1972 · as Mr.Golding
• Eyeless in Gaza1971 · as Mark Staithes
• Great Performances1971 · as Self
• Play for Today1970 · as Max
• Play for Today1970 · as Robin
• Play for Today1970 · as Piers
• Confession1970 · as Mr. Tennent
• Softly Softly: Task Force1969 · as Cranley
• ITV Saturday Night Theatre1969 · as Brother Kevin
• The Borderers1968 · as Gavin Ker
• Omnibus1967 · as Self
• Omnibus1967
• ITV Playhouse1967 · as Charles Battle
• Softly, Softly1966
• BBC Play of the Month1965 · as Gregory
• BBC Play of the Month1965 · as Theseus
• BBC Play of the Month1965 · as Lt. Cmdr. Bill Rogers
• BBC Play of the Month1965 · as Boris Trigorin
• Public Eye1965
• The BAFTA Awards1949 · as Self - Winner