Harry Potter cast pay tribute to Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in the franchise

Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter

The actor Michael Gambon, who played the iconic role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight ‘Harry Potter' films has passed away at the age of 82. The actor died in hospital after contracting pneumonia, reports Mirror.co.uk. The ‘Harry Potter' legend's family shared the heartbreaking news in a statement on Thursday. The statement, accessed by Mirror.co.uk, reads, "We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia. Michael was 82. We ask that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love."

Soon after his demise, several members from the team of Harry Potter took to social media to offer their condolences.

J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books took to X to share her grief over Michael's demise writing, "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, not only on Potter but also The Casual Vacancy. My deepest condolences go to Michael's family and everyone who loved him."

Jason Isaacs who played the role of Lucius Malfoy in the series wrote, "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."

Actor Rupert Grint who played the role of Ronald Weasley took to his Instagram account and penned a note for Gambon and his family. "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. Sending all my love to his family, Rupert."

Jared Harris who is the son of later actor Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first two parts of HP wrote, "A brilliant actor. I saw him on stage several times, and he lives unforgettably in my memory. He took over Dumbledore from my father, which was fitting as he overtook Brando as my father's favorite actor." Michael stepped in as the Hogwarts Principal after the demise of Richard Harris in 2002.

James Phelps who played Fred Weasley took to X to recall a precious moment with his former co-star. "Whilst shooting [Harry Potter] 6, I worked on the AD department for the whole shoot (apart from the days I was acting," James began. "And for that reason, I spent many hours with Michael during the shoot. He was always very funny and very welcoming to share any knowledge he had. One day, we were shooting Dumbledore's final clock tower scene, obviously quite an intense scene. In between set ups, Michael asked what I was up to that weekend. As it happened, my brother and I were reading Peter and the Wolf with the Manchester Halle orchestra. ‘Do you have the script with you?' He asked. I did. ‘I've done that, let's [go] through it, and if you like, I can give some notes.' So, we spent what we should have been his downtime going over my weekend gig. It is a memoir I've always had as one of my highlights of my HP days [sic]."

The Irish-born British actor's career spanned across nearly five decades, winning four BAFTAs, two RTS Awards and an Olivier. However, he is best known by Harry Potter fans for his role as Professor Albus Dumbledore in the JK Rowling series from 2004 until 2008, taking over from original actor Richard Harris following his death.