Harry Potter Actor, Michael Gambon is Dead

Irish-English actor, Sir Michael Gambon, best known for playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, has died in hospital aged 82.

His family announced his death on Thursday in a statement saying he died after a battle with pneumonia.

“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon.

“Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia,” the statement read.

Gambon won four television British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs) in a decades-spanning acting career across TV, film, radio and theatre, which was capped by his renowned character as the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts in the Potter series.

He was born in Dublin, the capital of Ireland and was knighted for services to the entertainment industry in 1998.

Gambon, based on the JK Rowling novels, also played French detective Jules Maigret in ITV series Maigret. He was also known for his character as Philip Marlow in Dennis Potter’s The Singing Detective on the BBC.

He began his career as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre in London and went on to star in a number of Shakespeare plays.