Michael Gambon . . . who played Professor Dumbledore in the final six "Harry Potter" movies . . . died after a bout of pneumonia. He was 82 years old.
Gambon had a long career before joining the "Harry Potter" franchise. He started in the theater as a protégé of Sir Laurence Olivier in the early '60s.
Richard Harris played Dumbledore in the first two movies, but Gambon took over after Harris died from Hodgkin's disease.
Gambon's other films include "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover", "Gosford Park", "Sleepy Hollow", and "Mary Reilly".
He gave up stage work in 2015 due to memory issues but continued to work in film and TV.
Daniel Radcliffe issued a statement calling Gambon, quote, "one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I've ever had the privilege of working with."
He added, quote, "He was silly, irreverent and hilarious. He loved his job but never seemed defined by it.
"He was an incredible story and joke teller . . . I am so grateful for the fact that I am one of the lucky people who got to work with him."
Rupert Grint said, quote, "He captivated me as a kid and became a personal role model of mine for finding the fun and eccentricities in life."
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