Actor Michael Gambon, the loved headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, passed away on 28th September, 2023 at the age of 82.
Following the death of one of the most beloved characters, the fans are reminiscing on Albus Dumbledore’s words on death from the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.
“I cried such ugly tears when Dumbledore died in the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I cried today when Sir Michael died,” a Potterhead, deeply affected by this news, mentioned to TTL.
A X user (formally twitter) tweeted, “Dumbledore and Hagrid left together, they will be unforgettable,” pointing towards Robbie Coltraine’s death last year, who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise.
Late Michael’s family issued a statement saying, “We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside.” It was also reported that he died following a ‘bout of pneumonia.
Dumbledore’s fart Prank! James Phelps, Fread Weasley in the movie, gave his tribute to Sir Gambon by saying he was always very funny. Gambon didn’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.
“I just stick on a beard and play me, so it’s no great feat,” Gambon told a British movie blog in 2007. “Every part I play is just a variant of my own personality.” Sir Gambon was known as something of a prankster on set. He once put a fart machine inside Daniel Radcliffe’s sleeping bag. Rupert Grint, Ron Weasley in the series, posted on Instagram on Thursday and said that Gambon brought “so much warmth and mischief to every day on set.”
Which Dumbledore was better? Professor Dumbledore was originally played by Richard Harris, who passed away after the 2nd movie of the Harry Potter Series. Later, in 2003, Sir Michael Gambon debuted in Harry Potter and the Prisoners of Azkaban as Professor Dumbledore.
Harris played the character with a soft spoken and kind hearted air. When Sir Gambon took over, he brought a darker, mischievous, and sinister look in the character. With this transition arouse a much-debated question: which Dumbledore was better?
While some fans say they liked Gambon’s portrayal of Dumbledore better, some argue that they liked Richard’s character more because they got attached to Dumbledore through him.
“He was like the grandfather I never had” The death of Sir Gambon has shaken up the fan base. The fans are tweeting his famous lines from the Harry Potter movies and are raising their wands in tribute to the death of professor Dumbledore, referencing to Dumbledore’s funeral scene in the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Tanya Rawat, a Potterhead since last 10 years, sadly expressed to TTL, “Dumbledore is my favourite character in the whole Harry potter movie. I was so upset when Dumbledore died in the movie, and it wasn’t even real. The death of Dumbledore (Sir Michael) feels so personal.”
Another Potterhead Soumya told TTL, “I will watch Harry Potter today to give my tribute to professor Dumbledore. We all should.”
Deeply affected by Dumbledore’s death, Aashish, a Potterhead, said to TTL, “My favourite thing about Dumbledore was the kind of homely vibes he gave off. I might sound silly but Dumbledore felt like the grandfather I never had. And today I feel like I lost him.”
All the Potterheads around the globe are heartbroken by the demise of actor Michael Gambon. He is truly loved by everyone, and each one of us pray that his soul rests in peace.
By: freelance journalist, reporting for true to life