(Sir) Michael John Gambon CBE, born on 19th October 1940 in Cabra, Dublin Ireland, is an accomplished actor on stage, in film, and on television, whose long-spanned career has earned him critical acclaim and many accolades. He is probably best known for playing Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, but his career began in 1962.
Have you ever wondered how much Michael Gambon is worth? According to authoritative sources, Gambon’s wealth is estimated to be over $15 million, earned during his successful acting career.
Michael Gambon Net Worth $15 Million
Michael Gambon was born to Edward, an engineer and Mary Gambon. The family moved to London after World War II in order to help rebuild the city, and became British citizens. Gambon attended St Aloysius Boys’ School located in Somers Town, and later on he attended school in Kent, but dropped out at fifteen with nothing to show for it.
However, he picked up an apprenticeship as a toolmaker with aircraft manufacturer Vickers Armstrong, and was a qualified engineer by the time he was 21. During his time as an apprentice, Gambon also studied classical acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. He worked as an engineer for a couple years, before debuting on stage at the Gate Theatre Dublin at age 24.
He toured with the company for a year, after which he joined the National Theatre Company. After four years of acting and making connections, Gambon joined the Birmingham Repertory Company, with which he finally received starring roles, and really started to add to his net worth.
Gambon’s debut film was in 1965, when he starred in Olivier’s “Othello” (1965). He then gained a lead role in the TV series “The Borderers” (1968-1970), which really lit a fire under his career. He spent the `70s building a name for himself, with roles in such films and TV series as “Eyeless in Gaza” (1971), “The Beast Must Die” (1974), and “The Other One” (1977-1979).
It was in 1980 that Gambon gained critical acclaim in the theatre world for his portrayal of Galileo in “The Life of Galileo” (1980), which fame ended up translating to TV, as he was chosen to play Phillip Marlow in the mini-series “The Singing Detective” (1986). All of these roles not only brought Gambon critical acclaim, but a hefty increase to his wealth.
Gambon continued starring in films and performing on stage into the 90s, and was knighted by Prince Charles in 1998 for his stellar contribution to acting. Some of his most notable films in the `90s include “A Man of No Importance” (1994) starring Albert Finney, “Samson and Delilah” (1996) directed by Nicolas Roeg, “The Gambler” (1997) in which he portrayed famed Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, then “Wives and Daughters” (1999), and Tim Burton`s “Sleepy Hollow” the same year, next to Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. He wasn’t quite finished yet with the arrival of the new millennium, as he continued to act, landing roles in “Endgame” (2000), “Longitude” (2000), then the Oscar-nominated drama “The Lost Prince”, directed by Stephen Poliakoff, and “Open Range” (2003), starring Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall. In 2004, Gambon was selected to play Albus Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, replacing Richard Harris who passed away after the second film. This earned Gambon international fame as well as acting as the largest contributor to his net worth so far, as Michael portrayed Albus Dumbledore five of the “Harry Potter” franchise films. Through the `00s, Gambon had several other notable roles, including in such productions as the Oscar-nominated “The Good Shepherd” (2006) starring Robert De Niro, Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie, “The Book of Eli” (2010), and then the Oscar-awarded Tom Hooper drama “The King`s Speech” (2010), with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, “Quarter” (2012), and most recently “Churchill’s Secret” (2016), all of which were successes, and which only further increased his net worth. He is also set to appear in the films “Mad to Be Normal” (2017), “Victoria and Abdul”, and “Viceroy`s House” (2017), among others.
Thanks to his skills, Michael has received various prestigious nominations and awards, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for “Path to War”, in category Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television, and four BAFTA Awards in category Best Actor for “The Singing Detective” in 1987, “Wives and Daughters” in 2000, then “Longitude” in 2001 and in 2002 for the film “Perfect Strangers”. He also has two SAG awards in his collection, one for the film “Gosford Park”, and the second one for “The King`s Speech”, among other awards.
Regarding his personal life, Gambon has been partnered with Phillipa Hart since 2000. He was married to Anne Miller from 1962 to 1999, and they have three children together. Besides acting, Gambon is also a qualified pilot, but his main hobby is cars, being a noted car collector, and guest-appearing on the popular BBC show, “Top Gear”.
