Sir Michael Gambon Cause of Death: What We Know

Michael Gambon, the Irish-English actor known for playing Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in most of the Harry Potter movies, has died, it was confirmed Thursday morning.Gambon’s cause of death has been attributed to pneumonia, with his wife, Lady Gambon, and his son, Fergus Gambon, sharing in a statement Thursday morning issued by Gambon’s publicist Clair Dobbs that the actor “died peacefully in hospital… following a bout of pneumonia.” At this time, details regarding Gambon’s illness and hospitalization remain unclear.

In the statement, shared with various outlets, Gambon’s family said they “are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon.” Remembering him as a “beloved husband and father,” the family shared that the actor “died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside.” He was 82. His family asked “that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love.”

Gambon’s career spanned six decades, beginning on the stage, and included more than 140 TV and film credits, but he was best known for his role as Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter franchise. Although the actor admitted to the U.K.’s The Independent, per Variety, that he’d “never seen any of the previous films,” he said that “working on the series was huge fun – and for lots of dosh.” Gambon took on the role in 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the franchise’s third film, replacing Richard Harris, who passed away in 2002 after portraying Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). After appearing in Prisoner of Azkaban, Gambon went on to reprise the role of Dumbledore in the five remaining films – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).

“We are incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Michael Gambon,” the official X (formerly Twitter) account for the Harry Potter franchise wrote in tribute. “He brought immeasurable joy to Harry Potter fans from all over the world with his humour, kindness and grace. We will forever hold his memory in our hearts.”

Outside of his work in the Harry Potter franchise, Gambon was well-known for appearances in the ITV series Maigret, Dennis Potter’s The Singing Detective, The Lost Prince, The King’s Speech, and Path to War, among many others. He is remembered as one of the original members of the National Theatre Company and was knighted for services to the entertainment industry in 1998.