Our new biography of Michael Gambon is now live — just in time for him to join Jimmy Buffett, Tina Turner, and Daniel Ellsberg on our list of famous people who have died in 2023.
Photo: Tristram Kenton / The Guardian
If you’d like to hear what it was like to work with The Great Gambon, you can’t do better than this lengthy piece from the always-fabulous The Guardian. Here’s Daniel Craig, remembering his work with Gambon before Craig became world-famous as James Bond and before Gambon became known to the kiddies of the world as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films:
Michael also loved spinning yarns and could be really mischievous. We were once at a tedious fundraiser – both nursing pints of lager and wondering when we could go home. Then Michael started to twinkle. “My mother used to drive cranes in Belfast,” he told everyone. “In fact, she was part of the construction of the Titanic.” They bought it: “Wow! My goodness!” He carried on and on. Having her fly sorties with the RAF during the second world war deep into enemy territory. Just delicious yarns.
…After we’d done the show, we’d always have a quiet pint together, then he’d jump on the tube and I’d ride home on my bike. I miss him. I hope he knew he was beloved.
Great stuff.