Daniel Radcliffe and his co-stars have opened up about their experiences working with Sir Michael Gambon on the Harry Potter films, revealing how they helped the actor remember his lines.
Gambon took on the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in 2003, replacing Richard Harris following his death. He remained in the role until the final film in the franchise, 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, and just four years later, retired from stage acting after finding that he was unable to remember his lines.
Three years on from Gambon’s death, his Harry Potter co-stars have revealed in his new biography – which confirms that Gambon was diagnosed with dementia – that the actor had difficulty recalling his lines throughout the filming of the franchise.
Imelda Staunton, who played Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies, said that seeing Gambon struggle was “a shock” to her.
“There was a little scene with him and Dan [Radcliffe] and me and he had to have it written up and it wasn’t a lot,” she told author Jasper Rees. “I thought, gosh, that’s the man who played all these big parts, and it’ll happen to all of us.”
Elsewhere, Radcliffe, who played the titular wizard, shared that he initially thought Gambon flubbed his lines because “he didn’t really care” about getting them right the first time around “because it was Potter, and it was a big movie, and we knew we had the time and the money”.
“By the sixth one, I suddenly realised,” said the actor, who went on to reveal that Gambon had his lines written on boards that Radcliffe would hold during their scenes together. “I would sit behind idiot boards for a lot of scenes and just hold them,” he said. “Michael would be sometimes very apologetic, because he’s talking to me and the board has to be in front of my face.
“He accepted that this was just going to make everybody’s lives easier, including his, and that nobody was judging him. I loved Michael, so I didn’t give a s**t. It was also an amazing lesson in that he’s still so f***ing captivating. Most actors would cut off their right arm to be that compelling when just reading,” he said.
David Bradley, who played caretaker Argus Filch in the films, also recalled Gambon having trouble with his lines while executives were visiting set one day.
“I was stood near to him looking out at the hall full of kids and all the suits had come over from the States,” he said. “He had this long speech full of information which is the hardest to learn, and Mike tripped up a couple of times. At one point after several attempted takes he stopped and said, ‘Who wrote this s***?’ Everybody froze.”
The biography, which speaks to Gambon’s friends, family and colleagues about his life and career, reveals that Gambon was diagnosed with dementia, which he had always denied up until his death in 2023.
The Olivier Award and Bafta TV Award winner, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama, died at the age of 82 after an episode of pneumonia. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lady Gambon, and their son, as well as his long-term girlfriend and their two sons.
Michael Gambon: The Authorised Biography is available from 29 October.
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