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Overview (3) |
Mini Bio (1) |
Family (3) |
Trade Mark (1) |
Trivia (40) |
Personal Quotes (23)
Overview (3)
| Born | in Cabra, Dublin, Ireland |
| Birth Name | Michael John Gambon |
| Height | 5' 11" (1.8 m) |
Mini Bio (1)
Sir Michael Gambon was born in Cabra, Dublin, Ireland, to Mary (Hoare), a seamstress, and Edward Gambon, an engineer. After joining the National Theatre, under the Artistic Directorship of Sir Laurence Olivier, Gambon went on to appear in a number of leading roles in plays written by Alan Ayckbourn. His career was catapulted in 1980 when he took the lead role in John Dexter's production of "Galileo". Since then, Gambon has regularly appeared at the Royal National Theatre and the RSC. Roles include, King Lear, Othello, Mark Anthony and Volpone. He was described by the late Sir Ralph Richardson as being "The Great Gambon" and he is now considered to be one of the British theatre's leading lights. He was made a CBE in 1992.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Marc Brenner
Family (3)
| Spouse | Anne Miller (1962 - present) (separated) (1 child) |
| Children |
Fergus Gambon
Thomas Gambon William Gambon |
| Parents |
Mary Hoare
Edward Gambon |
Trade Mark (1)
Rich smooth voice
Trivia (40)
Antique weapon enthusiast.
He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1990 Queen's New Year Honours List and made a Knight Bachelor in the 1998 Queen's New Year Honours List for his services to drama.
Auditioned for the role of James Bond after George Lazenby left the series, but was turned down because they didn't want to hire another unknown.
In 2002, was named the successor to the late Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series.
He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1986 (1985 season) for Best Comedy Performance for "A Chorus of Disapproval".
He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1988 (1987 season) for Best Actor in a New Play for his performance in "A View from the Bridge".
He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Best Actor for his performance in "The Caretaker" at the Comedy Theatre.
He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1999 (1998 season) for Best Actor for his performance in "The Unexpected Man".
He was nominated for a 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actor of the 1997 season for his performance in "Tom and Clem" at the Aldwych Theatre.
He was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actor of 2002 for his performance in "A Number" at the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs.
He was awarded the 1987 London Evening Standard Theate Award for Best Actor for his performance in A View from the Bridge.
He was awarded the 2000 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama) for Best Actor for his performance in The Caretaker at the Comedy Theatre and Cressida at the Albery Theatre.
He was awarded the 1990 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actor for his performance in Man of the Moment.
He was awarded the 1995 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in Volpone.
After going round the final corner of the "Top Gear" (BBC TV, Season 1, episode 8; 2002) test track on two wheels during their Star In A Reasonably Priced Car segment, the corner was named after him.
An Associate Member of RADA.
Was nominated for Broadway's 1997 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for "Skylight."
Graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), London, England.
He has twice played two roles previously played by Richard Harris. The character of Jules Maigret, which Richard Harris played in a 1988 TV movie and secondly Albus Dumbledore of the Harry Potter Movies.
For years he used to carry around what he said was a signed photograph of Robert De Niro, claiming to have met him, though the two had never in fact met. In The Good Shepherd (2006), he is directed by DeNiro.
Holds a private pilot's license and flies his own plane regularly when not filming on location.
In 2007, he was nominated for Best Actor at the ESB/Irish Times Theatre awards for his role in the stage adaptation of Samuel Beckett Eh Joe.
In 2002 Gambon moved out of his marital home in Kent, England, to live with his now companion, Philippa Hart. The pair welcomed two sons: Michael in May 2007, and William in June 2009.
His first child, Fergus, was born to him and his wife in 1964.
He doesn't like being interviewed and he once said he lies during interviews to make them more interesting. When someone asked Gambon if he had problems with playing a gay man he replied by saying it was easy because he used to be a homosexual but was forced to quit because it made his eyes water.
During an appearance on the BBC program "Top Gear", Gambon took part in the show's regular "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment. He went around the final corner of the track on two wheels, and, in honor of the feat, the corner has henceforth been dubbed "Gambon" by the show's hosts.
He played two Kings of England; King Edward VII in The Lost Prince (2003) and his son King George V in The King's Speech (2010). He also played the United States President Lyndon Johnson in Path to War (2002).
Voted Best Supporting Actor for Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010) by readers of Doctor Who Magazine.
At the Royal National Theatre, London, performing in the production of William Shakespeares 'Henry the 4th' (parts 1 & 2). [May 2005]
At the Duke of York Theatre, London, performing in Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land", with David Walliams and David Bradley. [December 2008]
As of 2022, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Insider (1999), Gosford Park (2001) and The King's Speech (2010). The latter won in the category.
On 8 February 2015 he announced that at the age of 74 he was retiring from stage acting because long-standing problems with his memory were making it increasingly difficult for him to remember his lines. For several years before that he had relied on an earpiece over which he could be prompted if he forgot his lines.
He was considered for Caine, Dr.Armstong, Bukovsky, Roger Derebridge, Lamson and Kelly in Lifeforce (1985).
In his opening lines as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, (in 2004's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", Gambon referred to "...Professor Grubbly-Plank...." and "...*his* remaining limbs...."; however, in the books (and in 2007's "...Order of the Phoenix", the character is revealed to be **female** (Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, as played by actress Apple Brook).
Was a great admirer of fellow Irish actor, Peter O' Toole.
Admitted to being rather surly and volatile in his younger days.
Friends with Maggie Smith.
Has been in multiple movies with fellow actor David Thewlis, The Omen (2006) and the Harry Potter movies (2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011).
After leaving school he became an apprentice engineer a Vickers Armstrong.
Although born in Dublin his parents moved to Kent when he was 6.
Personal Quotes (23)
Theater actors are just tolerated. You have to be a movie star to be a celebrity.
I live in fear of being a contented passenger. I'd rather get parts I can't play.
I just play him as myself, I don't ease myself into any role really. I stick a beard on and play me.
I'm an anorak. I've always been an obsessive collector of things. Richard Briers collects stamps. I collect cars and guns, which are much more expensive, and much more difficult to store.
I am a theatre actor, but the last ten years I've taken parts in movies because it keeps me in money.
Yeah, I like causing trouble. It's the teddy boy in me. I used to be a teddy boy. Feeling slightly inferior and wanting to cause a bit of bother and get some action going on in the room rather than get bored stiff.
Oh yeah, I'd love to be a comedian. I've done a lot, but always in the confines of plays.
I promise myself that I would go and do a play every year.
I just hate the idea of being well known. I know that is almost impossible if you're an actor who has done okay, but I've always fought against it.
I learn the lines that J.K. Rowling or whoever writes them, and say them.
I'm very flower-like. I love classical music. I go to ballet and I cry. There's nothing so beautiful.
A child did approach me in a restaurant in Cornwall, but he thought I was Gandalf.
There were no spells at my school, just a smack in the mouth.
I belong to quite a lot of learned societies. We collect firearms and discuss them at dinners and clubs and things.
Every part I play is just a variant of my own personality. No real character actor, of course, just me.
There's no subtext in Harry Potter really; it's all magic, anything can happen. Why do I say this? Because it's a magic spell. It's quite nice in a way. There is a real freedom to it.
You get used to being lazy doing films, but classical theatre's going to finish me off.
Television has dried up for my generation, so it's plays and films.
Paul Schofield said something like, 'If I'm not acting in a play, I don't really exist.' Those weren't the exact words, but he meant it's only when I'm acting in a play that I've got something to say about the world. And then why should I talk, when people can come to see it?
I've always tried to be an actor who... I just plod on and try to keep my mouth shut, mind my own business. I find the whole thing about people's lives... I can't understand it. I'm always astonished that people want to know anything about me.
(On replacing Richard Harris as Dumbledore) Richard was in heavy, heavy costume, he could hardly sit, you know, and I turned up and they put me in two layers of silk, so I played him much lighter - you know, floating around in a pair of slippers, a bit of a hippy.
(On Peter O'Toole) "He was a great actor. His early years were the best I thought. He was great fun to be with. He will be missed badly."
[to Antony Sher, when Sher as the Fool began drawing attention from Gambon's Lear] This play's called King Lear, not King Lear plus a c*** in a red nose.
