Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in most of the ‘Harry Potter’ movies, dies at 82

Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was known to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in several “Harry Potter” films, has died. Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was known to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, has died, his publicist said Thursday. Although the “Potter” role raised Gambon’s international profile and introduced him to a new generation of fans, he had long been recognized as one of Britain’s leading actors. Gambon was versatile as an actor but once told the BBC of his preference for playing “villainous characters.” He played gangster Eddie Temple in the British crime thriller “Layer Cake” and a Satanic crime boss in Peter Greenaway’s “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.” He also had a part as King George V in the 2010 film “The King’s Speech.” In 2015, he returned to the works of J.K. Rowling, taking a leading role in the TV adaptation of her book “The Casual Vacancy.” Gambon retired from the stage in 2015 after struggling to remember his lines in front of an audience because of his advancing age.