Michael Gambon passes away at 82; 6 things to know about Harry Potter star who played Professor Albus Dumbledore

Michael Gambon was born in Cabra, Dublin, Ireland, on October 19, 1940

He grew up in Mornington Crescent, North London; he was from an Irish immigrant community. He was raised as a devout Roman Catholic and served at the altar. In Somers Town, he attended St. Aloysius Boys School. He later went to St. Aloysius College in Highgate, London, and Crayford Secondary School in North End, Kent. He did, however, drop out of school at the age of 15.

Gambon gained admission to Dublin's Gate Theater by drafting a letter and submitting a CV describing a fictitious theater career. In 1962, he made his stage debut in a tiny role in Gate Theater's Othello

He preferred to keep out of the spotlight and did not speak much about his personal life because he was a very private person. In 1962, he married Anne Miller. Gambon had been in a relationship with Philippa Hart since 2002. Michael (born in May 2007) and William (born in June 2009) are their two boys

He won numerous awards for King Lear and other plays, including Pinter's Old Times, Mountain Language, and Volpone. His portrayal in David Hare's Skylight received widespread acclaim in 1995. It premiered at the National Theater, then moved to the Wyndham's Theater, and finally played for four months on Broadway

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1990. In July 1998, he received the title of Knight Bachelor. He was then nominated for the Laurence Oliver Award thirteen times. Gambon had won the Laurence Oliver Award for Best Comedy Performance for his roles in the plays Man of the Moment (1990) and A Chorus of Disapproval (1986). For A View from the Bridge, he received the Laurence Oliver Award for Best Actor in 1988