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The Singing Detective Background: “Theater actors are just tolerated. You have to be a movie star to be a celebrity.” Michael Gambon Noted Irish-British actor Sir Michael Gambon has made a name for himself in theater, film and television since starting his professional career in the early 1960s. First gaining fame on stage in “The Life of Galileo” (1980), he has since regularly offered award-winning turns in a number of stage productions. He was catapulted to TV stardom with his role as the novelist who literally related with his own characters on the brilliant miniseries “The Singing Detective” (1986), from which he took home a BAFTA TV Award, a Royal Television Society Award and a Broadcasting Press Guild Award. He is also remembered for playing the title role on the BBC series “Maigret” (1992-1993) and with his BAFTA Award-winning roles in the miniseries “Wives and Daughters” (1999), “Longitude” (2000) and “Perfect Strangers” (2001) as well as his Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated turn in the HBO film “A Path To War” (2002). The recipient of the Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival Award for Best Actor for “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” (1989) more recently enjoyed big screen success as the host in Robert Alman's “Gosford Park” (2001), from which he collected several shared awards, and for his famous role as Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series: “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004), “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005), “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (2007) and the upcoming “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (2008). Gambon has kept his personal life private. He married Anne Miller in 1962, but they are currently separated. They have one son together. Gambon also has a child with his girlfriend, Philippa Hart, who he first introduced as his partner on the set of “Gosford Park.” In 1997, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his service to drama.
RADA Graduate
Childhood and Family: Michael John Gambon was born on October 19, 1940, in Dublin, Ireland, to Edward Gambon, an engineer, and Mary Gambon, a dressmaker. When he was five years old, his parents migrated to England. Growing up in a strict Catholic family, Michael was sent to St Aloysius Boys' School in Somers Town, but later moved to St Aloysius' College in Hornsey Lane, Highgate, London, the same school attended by Peter Sellers. After moving again to a school in Kent, he eventually dropped out of school at the age of 15. Michael then trained to become a toolmaker with Vickers Armstrong and by the time he was 21, he had emerged as a qualified engineer. Shortly after, he launched a career in acting. Michael is a graduate of the renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, England. In 1962, Michael married Anne Miller, but the couple has since separated. They have one son together named Fergus Gambon. In May 2007, Michael was reportedly expecting a child with his girlfriend, Philippa Hart, whom he has dated since 2001.
Professor Dumbledore
Career: After leaving school at age 15, Michael Gambon found work in a factory where he was in charge of sweeping the floor and serving tea to employees before discovering acting was his true calling. An Associate Member of RADA, the Dublin native made his professional stage debut at age 22 playing a small part in “Othello” at the Gaiety Theatre, in Dublin. He joined Sir Laurence Olivier's company at the National Theatre in London the following year and at the suggestion of his tutor, he next honed in on his craft with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, where he gained more stage exposure. He rejoined Olivier at the National Theatre in1978 to play Roderigo in the company's acclaimed production of “Othello” and remained with the play until 1980. It was also in 1980 that Gambon's stage career received a significant boost when he won the starring role in John Dexter's production of “The Life of Galileo” at the National Olivier Theatre. Since then, he has made regular performances at the Royal National Theatre, the RSC and many others. While building his stage career, Gambon also attempted to launch his screen career. Making his first film appearance in the movie version of Shakespeare's “Othello” (1965), starring Laurence Olivier, he then played the regular role of Gavin Ker on the adventure/drama series “The Borderers” (1968-1970) and made his TV-movie debut in “Catholics” (1973). In 1974, he had the supporting role of Jan Jarmokowski in the Paul Annett-directed horror/action film “The Beast Must Die,” which starred Calvin Lockhart, before returning to television to star as Brian Bryan in the BBC sitcom “The Other One” (1977-1979) and appear in the short-lived comedy “Chalk and Cheese” (1979). After his star-making role in “Galileo,” Gambon left television and film for several years to concentrate on his stage career. During this period, he starred in such productions as “King Lear” (1982), “Antony & Cleopatra” (1982), “Tales from Hollywood” (1983) and “A Chorus of Disapproval” (1985), from which he netted a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award. He returned to television in the supporting role of Geoffrey Jackson in the comedy film “Absurd Person Singular” and starred as Oscar Wilde in a three-part miniseries called “Oscar” (both 1985), a biopic directed by Henry Herbert. However, it was not until the following year that Gambon became a household name. Starring as Philip E. Marlow in “The Singing Detective,” a superb psychological drama scripted by Dennis Potter, he picked up a BAFTA TV, a Broadcasting Press Guild for Best Actor and a Royal Television Society for Best Performance– Male. Gambon was next seen in David Hare's “Paris by Night” (1988), “The Heat of the Day” (1989, TV), “The Rachel Papers” (1989), “A Dry White Season” (1989, opposite Marlon Brando) and Peter Greenaway's “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” (1989, with Helen Mirren and Richard Bohringer), in which he won a Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival award for Best Actor for his role as Albert Spica. Meanwhile on stage, Gambon scored a victory with his portrayal of Eddie Carbone in the revival of Arthur Miller's “A View From the Bridge” (1987), where he won a London Evening Standard Theater and a Laurence Olivier Theatre award for Best Actor for his work in the play. A leading stage actor in Britain, Gambon opened the 1990s with the London Critics Circle Theatre-winning role of Douglas Beechey in “Man of the Moment” (1990) at London's Globe Theatre. Two years later, he costarred with Robin Williams as his mad military uncle in the Barry Levinson movie “Toys,” for which he was nominated for a Saturn for Best Actor, and offered an unforgettable starring portrayal of Chief Inspector Jules Maigret in the BBC series “Maigret,” which ran until 1993. He teamed up with Albert Finney for the drama film “The Browning Version” (1994), directed by Mike Figgis, supported Adam Beach in the adventure “Squanto: A Warrior's Tale” (1994), provided the voice of Badger in the animated film “The Wind in the Willow” (1995, TV) and portrayed the father of Julia Roberts in Stephen Frears' “Mary Reilly” (1996). Follow-up credits included “The Gambler” (1997), “Dancing at Lughnasa” (1998), Michael Mann's “The Insider” (1999, starred Al Pacino and Russell Crowe) and Tim Burton's “Sleepy Hallow” (1999, with Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci). Still a constant theatrical presence throughout the 1990s, Gambon won a London Evening Standard Theatre Award for his performance in 1995's “Volpone” and was nominated for a Tony for his starring turn as Tom Sergeant in “Skylight” (1996), a role he originated two years before at the National Cottesloe. He also acted in the plays “Tom and Clem” (1997, earned a 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award) and “The Unexpected Man” (1998, earned a Laurence Olivier Theatre nomination). In 2000, Gambon was handed a BAFTA TV and a Royal Television Society award in the category of Best Actor for his role as Squire Hamley in the 1999 miniseries “Wives and Daughters,” which was released in the United States in 2002. The same year, he also starred as John Harrison on the miniseries “Longitude” (2000, aired in the USA on A&E), from which he won an additional BAFTA TV Award, and won a London Critics Circle Theatre Award and a Laurence Olivier Theatre nomination for his stage work in “The Caretaker.” His starring turn as Raymond on the miniseries “Perfect Strangers” (2001) also won Gambon a BAFTA Award. It was also in that same year that the actor had a featured role in the Robert Altman movie “Gosford Park,” a role that brought him such shared awards as a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Satellite Award, an Online Film Critics Society Award, a Florida Film Critics Circle Award and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award. In 2002, Gambon starred as Lyndon Baines Johnson in the HBO drama “A Path To War” and was nominated for both an Emmy and Golden Globe for his work on the show. He followed it up with a major role in the western “Open Range” (2003), which was directed by and starred Kevin Costner, and roles in such movies as Gwyneth Paltrow's vehicle “Sylvia” (2003), “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004, as Albus Dumbledore), “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” (2004), “Being Julia” (2004, with Annette Bening), Wes Anderson's “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” (2004) and Matthew Vaughn's British gangster hit “Layer Cake” (2004). Gambon reprise his role of Professor Dumbledore in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005). 2006 to 2007 found roles in the movies “Stories of Lost Souls,” “The Omen,” “Amazing Graze,” “The Good Shepherd,” “The Good Night,” “The Baker,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and “Joe's Palace” (TV), among others. He will be cast in the upcoming films “Brideshead Revisited” (2008) and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (2008), where he will recreate his coveted role of Albus Dumbledore.
Awards:
Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture, “Gosford Park,” 2002 Satellite: Special Achievement Award, Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble, “Gosford Park, 2002 Online Film Critics Society: Best Ensemble, “Gosford Park,” 2002 Florida Film Critics Circle: Best Ensemble Cast, “Gosford Park,” 2002 Broadcast Film Critics Association: Critics Choice Award, Best Acting Ensemble, “Gosford Park,” 2002 BAFTA TV: Best Actor, “Perfect Strangers,” 2002 BAFTA TV: Best Actor, “Longitude,” 2001 BAFTA TV: Best Actor, “Wives and Daughters,” 2000 Royal Television Society: Best Actor – Male, “Wives and Daughters,” 2000 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival: Best Actor, “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover,” 1989 BAFTA TV: Best Actor, “The Singing Detective,” 1987 Broadcasting Press Guild: Best Actor, “The Singing Detective,” 1987 Royal Television Society: Best Performance– Male, “The Singing Detective,” 1987
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