British-Irish actor Michael Gambon

Gambon began his acting on the stage in the early 1960s and later moved into TV and film. 

But his best-known role was as Dumbledore in the "Harry Potter" franchise, a role he took over from the third instalment in the eight-movie series after he replaced the late Richard Harris in 2004.

Gambon played down the praise for his performance and said he simply played himself "with a stuck-on beard and a long robe".