Michael Gambon passes: Daniel Radcliffe, JK Rowling & others pay tribute to the Harry Potter star

Michael Gambon, who played the iconic character of Dumbledore, passed away yesterday at the age of 82 on 28 September. Many acting stalwarts and influential personalities paid tribute to the legendary actor, who won our hearts with his versatility and layered portrayals.Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular character in the Harry Potter series told Variety, “With the loss of Michael Gambon the world just became considerably less fun. Michael Gambon was one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, but despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him is how much fun he had doing his job. He was silly, irreverent and hilarious. He loved his job, but never seemed defined by it. He was an incredible story and joke teller and his habit of blurring the lines of fact and fiction when talking to journalists meant that he was also one of the most entertaining people with whom you could ever wish to do a press junket. The sixth film was where I got to spend the most time working with Michael and he made the hours spent in front of a green screen together more memorable and joyous than they had any right to be.”He added, “I’m so sad to hear he has passed, but I am so grateful for the fact that I am one of the lucky people who got to work with him.”Rupert Grint, who portrayed the character of Ron Weasley, wrote on Instagram: “So sad to hear about Michael. He brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set. He captivated me as a kid and became a personal role model of mine for finding the fun and eccentricities in life. Sending all my love to his family.”Jason Isaacs, who featured as Lucius Malfoy in the series said, “The greatest thrill of being in the Potter films was that [Michael Gambon] knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me.”