Fans of the Harry Potter franchise remember the late Michael Gambon’s portrayal of Dumbledore fondly, as well as one very cheeky prank he played on a young Daniel Radcliffe.
The legendary star passed away in Essex with his wife and son by his side after a bout of pneumonia, it was announced on Thursday (28 September). He was 82.
Gambon, who was born in Dublin, was one of the original members of the National Theatre and won 3 Oliviers, 4 Baftas and two SAG Awards throughout his long career.
In the third installment of the franchise, 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gambon took up the role of Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. Before passing away in 2002, the late Richard Harris portrayed the role in the first two movies.
Gambon got to know the young cast members when they were filming the third movie. But like the late Alan Rickman, he couldn’t help but prank Radcliffe.
Radcliffe told his co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson about the trick in the film’s DVD extras: “There was one time where, in this room actually, Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman, and I think [director Alfonso Cuarón] was co-ordinating it, took the opportunity to play a practical joke on me.”
The prank was praised as “really, really funny” by Watson, with Radcliffe adding, “For you.”