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Michael Gambon to be Professor Dumbledore

February 21, 2003
LONDON (Reuters) - Irish-born character actor Michael Gambon will play Professor Albus Dumbledore in the next Harry Potter movie after the death last year of Richard Harris who took the role in the first two films.

Gambon, 62, won Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his portrayal of U.S. President Lyndon Johnson in Path to War.

He also has four BAFTA Best Actor awards -- the British equivalent of the Oscars -- for roles in The Singing Detective, Wives and Daughters, Longitude and Perfect Strangers.

Harris, who brought his brand of gruff good nature to the part of Dumbledore as the head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, died in October after battling Hodgkin's disease.

Gambon, a Shakespearean actor who received a knighthood in 1998, was unavailable for comment on Friday as his agent confirmed news of his new role.

Filming is slated to start shortly on the third movie about the boy wizard, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, after the runaway financial success of the first two, Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets.