British-Irish actor Michael Gambon, who played the wizard Albus Dumbledore in the six later Harry Potter movies, has died at the age of 82, his agency confirmed to CBS News on Thursday.
In a statement issued on behalf of his wife Lady Anne Gambon and his son Fergus, publicist Clair Dobbs said the family was “devastated to announce the loss,” and added that the “beloved husband and father” had died peacefully in a hospital with his wife and son by his side following a bout of pneumonia.
Jack Taylor/Getty
Gambon won was awarded four U.K. television BAFTAs during his decades-long acting career, which saw him take staring roles across television, movies, radio and on the stage.
It was his role as the head of the Hogwarts school for witches and wizards in the Harry Potter franchise, however, that made him a familiar face to more recent generations. He succeeded actor Richard Harris in the role, who died in 2002 after portraying Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies.
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