Daniel Radcliffe, the lead star of the original “Harry Potter” film franchise, is remembering his late costar Michael Gambon after Gambon died of pneumonia this week at age 82.
“Michael Gambon was one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, but despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him is how much fun he had doing his job,” Radcliffe said in a statement to Variety on Thursday.
“He was silly, irreverent and hilarious. He loved his job, but never seemed defined by it,” he added
Rupert Grint, who portrayed Ron Weasley in the films, also posted a tribute to Gambon on Instagram, writing, “So sad to hear about Michael. He brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set. He captivated me as a kid and became a personal role model of mine for finding the fun and eccentricities in life.”
Gambon portrayed Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, a role he took up following the death of Richard Harris in 2002.
“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling also took time to remember the actor on Thursday, writing on X/Twitter, “I’ve just heard the awful news about Michael Gambon. The first time I ever laid eyes on him was in King Lear, in 1982, and if you’d told me then that brilliant actor would appear in anything I’d written, I’d have thought you were insane.”
“Michael was a wonderful man in additional to being an outstanding actor, and I absolutely loved working with him,” she added.
Actor Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the “Potter” films, called Gambon “magnificent” in his tribute on X/Twitter, continuing, “I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective - complex, vulnerable and utterly human. The greatest thrill of being in the Potter films was that he knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me.”
Gambon died at 82 following a “bout of pneumonia,” a statement issued on behalf of his family said on Thursday, PA Media news agency reported.
“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon,” the statement issued by his publicist Clair Dobbs said, according to PA.
Correction: A previous version of this story erroneously attributed a quote to Daniel Radcliffe. The story has been updated with a statement from Radcliffe.