Harry Potter fans fondly remember the late Michael Gambon’s portrayal of Dumbledore in the series – and a very cheeky prank he played on the young Daniel Radcliffe.
The legendary stage and film star died from pneumonia surrounded by his wife and son in Essex, it was announced on Thursday (September 28). He was 82 years old.
Born in Dublin, Gambon was a founding member of the National Theatre and won three Olivier Awards, four BAFTAs and two SAG Awards during his long career.
Gambon took on the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the third part of the franchise, 2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanThe role was played by the late Richard Harris in the first two films, before his death in 2002.
On the set of the third film, Gambon met the young actors, but he couldn’t resist playing a prank on Radcliffe, along with the late Alan Rickman.
In the extras on the film’s DVD, Radcliffe recalled the trick, telling his co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson: “Once in that room, Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman – and I believe (director Alfonso Cuarón) was coordinating it – took the opportunity to play a prank on me.”
Watson described the prank as “really, really funny” and Radcliffe added: “For you.”
At the time, the cast was filming a scene where the students slept in the Great Hall. Cuarón explained, “It was very good because there were a lot of sleeping bags and Dan asked us to put his sleeping bag next to this particular girl he liked.”
A clip is then shown of the recording in which Dumbledore (Gambon) and Snape (Rickman) speak from the script while the children sleep.
Then a fart sound is heard and both Rickman and Radcliffe stifle their laughter as Gambon continues with his lines and makes more noises.
“We had just finished a take, it took ages to get it right,” Radcliffe told his fellow actors indignantly. “They had put a fart machine in my sleeping bag and Michael Gambon had actually pressed it during the take, I found out.”
“The hall echoed,” Watson said. Footage of the prank shows the young actors sitting upright and laughing. Gambon and Rickman laughed the loudest.
Following the news of his death, numerous prominent tributes quickly poured in for Gambon.
David Baddiel tweeted: “The first time I visited a theatre with a capital T was Michael Gambon in Brecht’s Life of Galileo at The National in 1980. It’s still the best stage acting I’ve ever seen. RIP.”
Jeremy Clarkson remembered the actor for his 2002 appearance at Top equipmentand wrote: “I am so sad to hear of the passing of Michael Gambon. He was incredibly entertaining and such a great guest that we even named a corner after him.”
