‘Harry Potter’ Star Sir Michael Gambon Who Played Dumbledore Dead at 82(1)
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00:00 The Harry Potter community is mourning the loss of one of its own.
00:04 Sir Michael Gambon, who played the famed Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight movies for the hit series, has died at the age of 82.
00:13 His family shared the heartbreaking news with NBC News.
00:17 "We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon.
00:21 Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside following a bout of pneumonia. Michael was 82.
00:32 We ask that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love."
00:40 The statement read on behalf of Lady Gambon and Fergus Gambon, issued by publicist Claire Dobbs.
00:47 The Irish actor, who was nominated for two Emmy Awards and won four BAFTAs, had a number of memorable roles, including his time on the Wizarding franchise.
00:57 Michael also starred in movies like The King's Speech, Toys, and Sleepy Hollow.
01:02 His Harry Potter co-stars reacted to the devastating news.
01:06 Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram Thursday, posting a photo of Michael in character and writing, "So sad to hear about Michael. He brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set.
01:21 He captivated me as a kid and became a personal role model of mine for finding the fun and eccentricities in life. Sending all my love to his family."
01:31 James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley in the movies, shared his fondest memory with the legendary actor on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing,
01:41 "While shooting HP6, I worked on the AD department for the whole shoot, apart from the days I was acting. And for that reason, I spent many hours with Michael during the shoot.
01:53 He was always very funny and very welcoming to share any knowledge he had.
01:57 One day we were shooting Dumbledore's final clock tower scene, obviously quite an intense scene. In between setups, Michael asked what I was up to that weekend.
02:06 As it happened, my brother and I were reading Peter and the Wolf with the Manchester Hall Orchestra. 'Do you have the script with you?' he asked.
02:14 I did. 'I've done that. Let's go through it, and if you like, I can give you some notes.'
02:19 So we spent what should have been his downtime going over my weekend gig. It is a memory I've always had as one of the highlights of my HP days."
02:28 Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the series, penned, "Magnificent Michael Gambon has died.
02:35 I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective. Complex, vulnerable, and utterly human.
02:42 The greatest thrill of being in the Harry Potter films was that he knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me."
02:50 The Crown's Jared Harris, whose dad played the iconic character in the first two installments of the magical franchise, wrote, "Hilarious. A brilliant actor.
03:00 I saw him on stage several times and he lives unforgettably in my memory.
03:05 He took over Dumbledore from my father, which was fitting, as he overtook Brando as my father's favorite actor.
03:11 The official Harry Potter account tweeted, "We are incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Michael Gambon.
03:19 He brought immeasurable joy to Harry Potter fans from all over the world with his humor, kindness, and grace.
03:26 We will forever hold his memory in our hearts.
03:29 Michael was preceded in death by actors Alan Rickman, who played Snape, and Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid.
03:37 "
03:42 .
03:49 (upbeat music)