Michael Gambon
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.
Known for
Acting190
movieDoctor Who at the Proms
2024
Kazran Sardick (archive footage)
movieJudy
2019
Bernard Delfont
movieCordelia
2019
Mr. Moses
movieThe Death & Life of John F. Donovan
2019
Man in Diner
movieKing of Thieves
2018
Billy 'The Fish' Lincoln
movieJohnny English Strikes Again
2018
Agent Five
movieCitizen Lane
2018
Lord Ardilaun
movieThe Last Witness
2018
Frank Hamilton
tvLittle Women
2017
Mr. Laurence
moviePaddington 2
2017
Uncle Pastuzo (voice)
movieVictoria & Abdul
2017
Lord Salisbury
tvFearless
2017
Sir Alistair McKinnon
movieMad to Be Normal
2017
Sidney Kotok
movieViceroy's House
2017
General Hastings Ismay
movieChurchill's Secret
2016
Winston Churchill
movieDad's Army
2016
Private Godfrey
movieHail, Caesar!
2016
Narrator (voice)
tvThe Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells
2016
Elderly Philosopher
movieKnights of Classic Drama at the BBC
2015
Self (archive footage)
movieUnity
2015
Narrator (voice)
tvThe Casual Vacancy
2015
Howard Mollison
tvFortitude
2015
Henry Tyson
movieOn Angel Wings
2014
Grandfather
moviePaddington
2014
Uncle Pastuzo (voice)
movieCommon
2014
Judge
tvQuirke
2014
Judge Garret Griffin
movieLucan
2013
John Burke
tvLucan
2013
John Burke
tvThe Frame
2013
Professor Albus Dumbledore
tvRestless
2012
Baron Mansfield / Lucas Romer
movieQuartet
2012
Cedric Livingston
movieLondon: The Modern Babylon
2012
Self (voice)
tvThe Hollow Crown
2012
Mortimer
tvLuck
2012
Michael
moviePage Eight
2011
Benedict Baron
movieHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2011
Albus Dumbledore
movieDoctor Who: A Christmas Carol
2010
Old Kazran / Elliot Sardick
movieThe King's Speech
2010
King George V
movieHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010
Albus Dumbledore
movieThe Book of Eli
2010
George
movieFantastic Mr. Fox
2009
Franklin Bean (voice)
tvEmma
2009
Mr. Woodhouse
movieHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2009
Albus Dumbledore
movieBrideshead Revisited
2008
Lord Marchmain
tvCranford
2007
Thomas Holbrook
movieJoe's Palace
2007
Elliot Graham
movieHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2007
Albus Dumbledore
movieThe Alps - Climb of Your Life
2007
Narrator (voice)
movieCelebration
2007
Lambert
movieThe Good Night
2007
Alan Weigert
movieThe Good Shepherd
2006
Dr. Fredericks
movieJohn Duffy's Brother
2006
Narrator
movieAmazing Grace
2006
Lord Charles Fox
movieThe Omen
2006
Bugenhagen
movieHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2005
Albus Dumbledore
movieThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
2004
Oseary Drakoulias
movieLayer Cake
2004
Eddie Temple
movieBeing Julia
2004
Jimmie Langton
movieHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2004
Albus Dumbledore
movieLittle Wolf's Book of Badness
2003
Uncle Bigbad (voice)
tvAngels in America
2003
Prior Walter Ancestor #1 (uncredited)
moviePath to War
2003
Lyndon Johnson
movieSylvia
2003
Professor Thomas
movieOpen Range
2003
Denton Baxter
movieDeep Blue
2003
Narrator (voice)
movieThe Actors
2003
Barreller
movieCheck the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film
2003
Self - Hamm (archive footage)
tvThe Lost Prince
2003
King Edward VII
tvTop Gear
2002
Self
movieAli G Indahouse
2002
Prime Minister
movieCharlotte Gray
2001
Levade
movieGosford Park
2001
William McCordle
movieChristmas Carol: The Movie
2001
Ghost of Christmas Present (voice)
tvPerfect Strangers
2001
Raymond
movieEndgame
2000
Hamm
movieThe Last September
2000
Sir Richard Naylor
movieLongitude
2000
John Harrison
tvLongitude
2000
John Harrison
tvWives and Daughters
1999
Squire Hamley
movieSleepy Hollow
1999
Baltus Van Tassel
movieThe Insider
1999
Thomas Sandefur
moviePlunkett & Macleane
1999
Lord Gibson
movieDead on Time
1999
Maurice Silverman
movieDancing at Lughnasa
1998
Father Jack Mundy
A Roll of the Dice: The Capeman on Broadway
1998
Narrator (voice)
movieThe Gambler
1997
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
movieThe Wings of the Dove
1997
Lionel Croy
tvSamson and Delilah
1996
Re Hamun
movieNothing Personal
1996
Leonard
movieTwo Deaths
1996
Daniel Pavenic
movieMary Reilly
1996
Mary’s Father
movieThe Innocent Sleep
1996
Det. Insp. Matheson
movieA Man of No Importance
1994
Ivor J. Carney
movieSquanto: A Warrior's Tale
1994
Sir George
tvFaith
1994
Peter John Moreton
tvRoom 101
1994
Self
movieThe Browning Version
1994
Dr. Frobisher
movieClean Slate
1994
Cornell
movieThe Entertainer
1993
Archie Rice
tvGMTV
1993
Self
movieToys
1992
General Zevo
tvMaigret
1992
Chief Inspector Maigret
tvThe Storyteller: Greek Myths
1991
The Storyteller
tvPerformance
1991
Archie Rice
movieMobsters
1991
Don Salvatore Faranzano
movieA Dry White Season
1989
Magistrate
movieThe Heat of the Day
1989
Harrison
movieThe Rachel Papers
1989
Doctor Knowd
movieParis by Night
1989
Gerald Paige
tvThe Jim Henson Hour
1989
Ultragorgon (voice)
movieMonster Maker
1989
Ultragorgon / Ultragorgon(voice)
movieMountain Language
1988
Sergeant
movieMissing Link
1988
Narrator (voice)
movieGhosts
1987
Pastor Manders
tvThe Singing Detective
1986
Philip Marlow
movieTurtle Diary
1985
George Fairbairn
tvTheatre Night
1985
Pastor Manders
tvOscar
1985
Oscar Wilde
tvScreen Two
1985
Ivor J. Carney
movieAbsurd Person Singular
1985
Geoffrey
The Breadwinner
1982
Charles Battle
tvBergerac
1981
Jarvis McLeod
tvMinder
1979
Tommy Hambury
The Seagull
1978
Trigorin
tvThe Other One
1977
Brian Bryant
The Sunday Drama
1977
David Patton
movieFrench Without Tears
1976
Lt Cmdr Rogers
movieIn the Labyrinth
1976
Duncan Harrison
The Secret Agent
1975
Tom Ossipon
Masquerade
1974
Stewart
movieThe Beast Must Die
1974
Jan Jarmokowski
tvZodiac
1974
Reuben Keiser
movieThe Catholics
1973
Brother Kevin
tvOrson Welles' Great Mysteries
1973
Major Rolfe
tvCentre Play
1973
Duncan Harrison
movieNothing But the Night
1973
Insp. Grant
tvSix Days of Justice
1972
Mr.Golding
tvEyeless in Gaza
1971
Mark Staithes
tvPlay for Today
1970
Piers / Max / Robin
Confession
1970
Mr. Tennent
tvITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
Brother Kevin
tvThe Borderers
1968
Gavin Ker
tvOmnibus
1967
Self
tvITV Playhouse
1967
Charles Battle
movieRomeo and Juliet
1967
Gregory
movieMuch Ado About Nothing
1967
Other Watchman
movieOthello
1965
Senators-Soldiers-Cypriots
tvBBC Play of the Month
1965
Gregory / Theseus / Lt. Cmdr. Bill Rogers / Boris Trigorin
tvThe BAFTA Awards
1949
Self - Winner