Michael Gambon

Irish actor Michael Gambon began working in the theater at the age of 19, but gained notoriety in England in the 1970s, with his roles on British television. Following Richard Harris's death in 2002, he joined the Harry Potter film series as the Hogwarts' headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

In 2008, it was announced that Gambon was to become a father again at the age of 68.Telegraph: ...Gambon to Become Father... (October 24, 2008)

Gambon has been a successful character actor since the 1970s, portraying a variety of personalities. He became well-known in England after starring in the BBC miniseries The Singing Detective. He played eccentric villains in both Peter Greenaway's The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover and Toys. In The Cook, The Thief..., Gambon plays gangster Albert Spica, an obnoxious restaurant patron who insults his wife and other dinner guests.

Gambon first portrayed Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, despite not having read any of the Harry Potter novels. He describes the role as himself, wearing a beard, but clarifies that all of his roles are variations of his own personality.

• Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

• October 19, 1940: Born

• 1992: Toys

• 1999: The Last September

• 1999: Sleepy Hollow

• 2004: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• 2004: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

• 2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• 2006: Amazing Grace

• 2006: The Good Shepherd

• 2007: The Baker

• 2007: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix