Going back to what a couple people said earlier, I loved his performance in Layer Cake. It was incredible. He pulled it off perfectly - and ended up being a bit menacing for a man in his 70s.

Granted, these other examples are benign, truly respectable accomplishments worthy of praise, respect and admiration whereas Gambon's greatest accomplishment is the utterly despicable and asinine butchering of a truly wonderful literary character, it is still an incredible accomplishment in its own right. To have portrayed someone, even a fictitious someone, with such deplorable repugnance that people are turned off of even the character's representation in the printed works takes great skill, and for that Gambon will always be remembered and in that light discussed.
hahahhaaaaa That cracks me up.
It's too bad. Actors should always be wary of taking roles in very popular films like Harry Potter, etc. because soooo many people will be critiquing them And if they mess up, people also won't let them live it down
But hey, at least people know about him (HP fans who wouldn't know him otherwise) because then they can expand their movie I can't think of the word, sorry (like me! since I first heard of him, I've wanted to see his other works).
For what do we live but to make sport of our neighbours and laugh at them in our turn?

i just come to realise that he is not the only one to blame. He is a greaat actor and he could play Dumbledore the way Richard Harris did but he didnt. Prolly his choice or not. In the end the directors have the last statement and prolly Rowlings too.
Im and Idiot.. I think! Got any problems with that?

I must agree with others. Gambon hase been a wonderful actor in numerous roles in the past. Unfortunately, he hasn't got a handle on albus Dumbledore, and being that Harry Potter is SO popular, he is going to be bashed to bits for it. I desperately wishe someone, somewhere would have went over the character of Dumbldore with him a bit more carefully (not to mention that much of his twisted Dumbldore was the result of Couran (sp?)I won't go there now).
sigh It is always so sad when a good actor goes wrong in a popular movie. They seemed to get slammed for life.
There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. - Theodore Roosevelt

What a load of twaddle. Perhaps it's the writers and directors who should be criticised as opposed to Gambon. If the director didn't want Gambon to act a certain way, THEN YOU WOULDN'T SEE IT ON SCREEN, and if the writer hadn't written those lines, THEN GAMBON WOULDN'T BE SAYING THEM. Anyone who's not a complete ignoramus should be able to see the obvious directorial influence on each of Gambon's three performances. In POA, he was airy, calm and whimsical, in GOF, stern, gruff and loud, in OOTP, cold, muted and drab. Three different directors, three vastly different performances. Gambon has shown in countless other productions, such as Cranford and The Life Aquatic, that he is more than capable of playing the gentle, tender old man and the loving eccentric, that's why he was cast in the role, his eccentricity, compassion and mysteriousness are what define his theatrical reputation. It is the directors and writers of GOF/OOTP who deserve the most criticism, for mis-using an actor who is perfect for the Dumbledore role.

True, he has played other parts. But since the role of Dumbledore is the crowning achievement and definitive work in this man's quest to create the world's most grandiose cinematic bowel movements, then I think it's appropriate that this is what is most discussed here. Go to James Cameron's board and people talk about Alien, Titanic and Terminator. Go to Harrison Ford's board and it's Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Go to Christopher Reeves' board and read about Superman. People are most remembered (and discussed here) for their greatest achievements. Granted, these other examples are benign, truly respectable accomplishments worthy of praise, respect and admiration whereas Gambon's greatest accomplishment is the utterly despicable and asinine butchering of a truly wonderful literary character, it is still an incredible accomplishment in its own right. To have portrayed someone, even a fictitious someone, with such deplorable repugnance that people are turned off of even the character's representation in the printed works takes great skill, and for that Gambon will always be remembered and in that light discussed.

This message has been deleted.

A brilliant actor !
However, he should sack his agent for getting him involved with trite crap such as the Dumbledore character !
Fantasy is not his go !

I just saw him in amazing grace and he was excellent in it! That's a good movie.. but yeah he's been in plenty of other things and it's kind of funny how no matter how many other great roles he's been in we'll see him as dumbledore.
"Man.. Karma Nailed you."-Wally
"Apparently.. so did speed."-Kyle
Jude Throws Drumstick at Kyle

You all should watch Othello with Maggie Smith and see if you can catch Michael Gambon in the background somewhere. He has no lines, and plays various background parts. He's a soldier for the most part. It's incredible. They're both in their late 20s in that movie/play.

This message has been deleted.

Great in Layer Cake! I loved the chemistry between him and Judi Dench in Cranford even though he was only in it for two episodes and he was so gentle which I loved because it was nice to see a different side to his acting.

Anyone seen his Endgame? He makes a very scary Hamm

Perhaps I gave this board a perfunctory look but nobody seems to have mentioned The Insider: his performance as Russell Crowe's boss, one of the "seven dwarves", the seven heads of the American tobacco industry, is chilling.

"Now, what would you say makes the portrayal wrong? He is too angry? Too short? Speaks in an Irish accent?
Gambon didn't get the role of Dumbledore "all wrong". He got it all Gambon"
He plays Dumbledore far too aggresively, I'm not saying it's a bad performance per se, just he hasn't depicted the character properly. Although that is more the fault of the director and screenwriter; especially seen as Gambon hasn't read any of the books.

BTW:
I thought he was great in The Cook, the Thief, Layer Cake, The Insider, Open Range, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Charlotte Gray, which would qualify as rubbish if Gambon hadn't been in it.

• The keeper of the city keys put shutters on the dreams.
  King Crimson

Now, what would you say makes the portrayal wrong? He is too angry? Too short? Speaks in an Irish accent?
Gambon didn't get the role of Dumbledore "all wrong". He got it all Gambon

• The keeper of the city keys put shutters on the dreams.
  King Crimson

I think he's got the part of Dumbledore all wrong - but in every other film I've seen him in he has been superb. His portrayal of Spica in "The Cook The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" stands head and shoulders above all of the rest as his best performance to date.

I haven't seen him in THe Signing Detective, but I loved him in The Cook The Thief, the wife and her lover That was early 90's.. Followed his work ever since, he is an amazing actor.
.(.~.).
Mony
..(.~*.)*.

Sir Michael Gambon is one of my favorite actor. i first noticed him in the british TV series The Singing Detective. Since then i have been a fan of his work. A truly great actor. He is the real deal.
"This are Nice shoes! Couldn't you afford some real Nike?"

He is kinda awesome isn't he?
and funny too.
Regarding on the HP movies, I'm actually quite happy that he's taken on the Dumbledore role.
Oh, he's not what i've pictured Dumby to be like at all..but he's Gambonand i love him!
Like he gives a damn about what the lil kids think of him
I bet he gets a fat paycheck from WB and laughing all the way to the bank with it.

Micahel Gambon is a really good actor. I've seen him in movies aother than Harry Potter Series and yes he was brilliant on those roles. I agree that he didnt really do a good job on the HP movies because I was and still comp7ecaring him to t he late Richard Harris ( who is really great btw). I know he's trying to make the character of Dumbledore his but i think he went to far. If you read the book, Dumbledore is always the calm and collective old wizard but Gambon played him as the opposite.
Will in the 5th movie, we will see dumbledore in action and i think Gambon will do a great job on that.
He was awesome in Sleep Hallow.

Yes he has.
I feel fairly tempted to flood the board with posts about every other film/play/interview/anything he has ever done just to get all the Dumbledore post out of the way and back on, lets say, page 7? 8?

He's also very good in "The Good Shepard."