# Sir Michael Gambon, Dumbledore in the later Harry Potter films, has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [September 28, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825 "2023-09-28T17:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/1 "2023-09-28T17:32:22Z")
May he rest in peace - a very talented actor and, by the sounds of it, a very fun guy: > **[Harry Potter actor Sir Michael Gambon dies aged 82](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66949848)** > > The actor, a four-time Bafta award winner, was best known for playing Dumbledore in the hit film series. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/2 "2023-09-28T18:00:02Z")
I find it a little sad that he’ll probably be remembered for Dumbledore more than his other great roles. But, yea, he was a wonderful actor. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/3 "2023-09-28T18:19:39Z")
Alec Guinness may have had the same problem. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/4 "2023-09-28T18:21:27Z")
I’d say that it’s strange for two separate actors to both die of old age, for the same role but I guess Gambon did first play the character in 2005, 18 years ago. Looking at the numbers for Cocoon and Golden Girls, ~20 years after taking a role as a senior character does seem to start to hit the danger zone… (Lesson to actors, don’t take roles for senior parts if you want to live forever!) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/5 "2023-09-28T18:23:18Z")
That is sad news. He was great in many, many films. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/6 "2023-09-28T22:10:31Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’d say that it’s strange for two separate actors to both die of old age, for the same role… Not really? Old age is a common cause of death, and there are plenty of roles that have been played by multiple people. And when it’s a role for a character who’s already somewhat elderly, you’re further filtering out a lot of non-old-age deaths. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Alec Guinness may have had the same problem. Nah, nobody ever remembers the job he did at playing Dumbledore. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/7 "2023-09-28T22:15:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Old age is a common cause of death, and there are plenty of roles that have been played by multiple people. I believe that all of the Bonds and Whos were passed to a successor before the original actor died. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/8 "2023-09-28T22:27:22Z")
Oh, you meant died of old age while still playing the role, so they’d have to be replaced. I didn’t catch that from your previous post. Though, was Gambon still playing the role? I understand that Dumbledore appears in some of the Fantastic Beasts movies, but I thought that was Young Dumbledore, since they’re set in the past? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/9 "2023-09-28T23:19:28Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’d say that it’s strange for two separate actors to both die of old age, for the same role but I guess Gambon did first play the character in 2005, 18 years ago. Looking at the numbers for Cocoon and Golden Girls, ~20 years after taking a role as a senior character does seem to start to hit the danger zone… 2004, and filmed in 2003. He was 62 when they made the movie, basically. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/10 "2023-09-28T23:20:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Though, was Gambon still playing the role? I understand that Dumbledore appears in some of the Fantastic Beasts movies, but I thought that was Young Dumbledore, since they’re set in the past? No, he hasn’t played it since the end of the proper book films. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/11 "2023-09-29T00:52:03Z")
I remember Michael from a Doctor Who Christmas special with Matt Smith. I never watched Harry Potter. RIP ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/12 "2023-09-29T00:58:51Z")
I always thought he made a great cannibal. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/13 "2023-09-29T03:02:03Z")
I can only remember when he almost rolled the reasonably priced car on the last corner of the Top Gear test track and had the corner named after him. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/14 "2023-09-29T06:34:20Z")
If you can find it, don’t miss him in [The Singing Detective](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Singing_Detective), and he made a great Maigret. But he also had a distinguished stage career. > **[Michael Gambon, star of Harry Potter and The Singing Detective, dies aged 82](https://amp.theguardian.com/stage/2023/sep/28/michael-gambon-star-of-harry-potter-and-the-singing-detective-dies-aged-82)** > > The Olivier award-winning actor, whose major film roles included Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series, has died ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/15 "2023-09-29T15:02:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Alec Guinness may have had the same problem. > > Nah, nobody ever remembers the job he did at playing Dumbledore. I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sir-michael-gambon-dumbledore-in-the-later-harry-potter-films-has-died/990825/16 "2023-09-30T02:28:11Z")
He’ll always be Maigret to me — a ridiculously British Maigret, but great in the role nevertheless.