Late Harry Potter actor Michael Gambon’s unconventional double love life
The late Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, had an unconventional marriage and lived with another woman.
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The late Harry Potter actor Michael Gambon, who died on Thursday aged 82, led an unconventional double life where he stayed married to his wife to his death while also having two children with his lover.
His youngest two sons are still teenagers.
“It is a very strange set of circumstances worthy of a film script in itself,” one observer told The Sun.
Michael Gambon died peacefully in hospital in Essex, east of London, on Thursday, his family announced.
He is best known for playing the role of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film franchise.
His first appearance in came in The Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004 where he took over the pivotal role from the late Richard Harris. He would appear in four more instalments.
Scores of celebrities have paid tribute including Harry Potter author JK Rowling, the films’ key star Daniel Radcliffe and fellow actor Helen Mirren.
His other films included Sleepy Hollow, Gosford Park, The King’s Speech and Paddington.
A statement on behalf of his wife Anne Miller and son Fergus Gambon said: “We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon”.
“Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia.”
Notably, that statement did not mention Philippa Hart, who Gambon had been in a relationship with for over 20 years and is the mother of two of his children.
He was said to have divided his time between his wife and Ms Hart.
Gambon married Anne Miller in 1962 when he was just 22 years old. He lived with his mathematician wife in a $7.5 million home in the village of Meopham near Gravesend in Kent, south east of London.
There they raised a son Fergus, now 59, who is a ceramics expert and has appeared on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
However in 2001, while filming Gosford Park, Gambon revealed he was in a relationship with Philippa Hart who he had met on the set of a television program two years previously.
When the relationship became public in 2002, Gambon moved out of the marital home and into his own house in west London with Ms Hart who was 25 years younger than him.
His wife was said to have been “crushed” by the revelation he was in a relationship with another woman but eventually came to terms with it.
‘Very strange set of circumstances’
In February 2007, Ms Hart gave birth to Gambon’s second child Tom. In 2009, his third child Will was born – when Gambon was 68 years old.
A friend toldThe Sunat the time: “Philippa gave birth at a London hospital without complications and (he) is a beautiful bouncing baby. It is a very strange set of circumstances worthy of a film script in itself”.
“But Michael is open with his wife and she accepts the second relationship, though there have been rows in the past.”
At times he would live in London with Ms Hart and at other times in Kent with his wife.
It’s understood that when he fell ill he spent his time at the larger country house.
‘Naughty, but funny’
The creator of Harry Potter, author JK Rowling, said she “loved working with” Gambon. Not only was he in the Harry Potter films but also a TV adaptation of Rowling’s novel The Casual Vacancy.
“The first time I ever laid eyes on him was in King Lear, in 1982, and if you’d told me then that brilliant actor would appear in anything I’d written, I’d have thought you were insane,” she said on Twitter, now known as X.
I've just heard the awful news about Michael Gambon. The first time I ever laid eyes on him was in King Lear, in 1982, and if you'd told me then that brilliant actor would appear in anything I'd written, I'd have thought you were insane. Michael was a wonderful man in additional…
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 28, 2023
Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter said Gambon was a “brilliant, effortless actor”.
“Despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him is how much fun he had doing his job.”
Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the wizarding films, said Gambon “brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set”.
“He was silly, irreverent and hilarious. He loved his job, but never seemed defined by it.”
James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley, relayed a story about how Gambon helped him rehearse a script despite the star being busy on the set of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
“He was, on and off the camera, a legend,” said Phelps, who added that Gambon was always “very funny and were welcoming to share any knowledge he had”.
Oscar winning actor Helen Mirren praised Gambon telling the BBC he was “naughty but very, very funny”.
She starred with him on the 1989 film The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.
Mirren said Gambon was “utterly realistic” about how his advancing age was affecting his work.
“He found it increasingly difficult to remember lines, which I have the greatest of sympathy with, and that sort of took him away from theatre”.
The official Harry Potter Twitter/X account said Gambon brought “joy” to lovers of the wizarding universe.
“He brought immeasurable joy to Harry Potter fans from all over the world with his humour, kindness and grace. We will forever hold his memory in our hearts.”
Born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1940, Gambon first qualified as an engineer and toolmaker before discovering acting.
The legendary star quickly rose to fame thanks to his distinctive booming Voice and powerful presence on both stage and screen.
Away from the screen, Gambon was a qualified pilot and car enthusiast.
Throughout his career the actor would regularly appear in Shakespeare productions with the National Theatre – delighting audiences up and down the country.
The 82-year-old won four BAFTAs for his TV work, three Oliver Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Award’s.
In 1998 he was knighted in The Queen‘s New Years’ Honours for services to drama.
Originally published as Late Harry Potter actor Michael Gambon’s unconventional double love life
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