JK Rowling paid a tribute to Sir Michael Gambon, who played Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter movies, after he breathed his last aged 82.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Rowling, the mind behind the famous franchise, mourned the death of the actor while dubbing him a “wonderful man.”
Rowling reminisced the first time she saw Gambon in a play, years before he was cast as Dumbledore, revealing how she had never imagined that he would act in a movie penned by her.
“I’ve just heard the awful news about Michael Gambon,” she penned. “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.”
She continued: “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.”
Before concluding, the author wrote, “My deepest condolences go to Michael’s family and everyone who loved him.”
Announcing the devastating news of Gambon’s passing, his wife and son announced through the late actor’s publicist, “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.”