fictional character from Harry Potter
Factsheet
Albus Dumbledore Harry Potter character
First appearance Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
Last appearance Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Albus Dumbledore Harry Potter character
First appearance Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
Last appearance Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Albus_Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore - Wikipedia
3 days ago - Dumbledore is portrayed by Richard Harris in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). Following Harris's death in October 2002, Michael Gambon was cast in the role. He plays Dumbledore in six Harry Potter films, ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/harrypotter › who the actor that played dumbledore pretty well? and why?
r/harrypotter on Reddit: Who the actor that played Dumbledore pretty well? and why?
January 3, 2023 - Richard Harris, the guy who played Dumbledore first, has a son who is an amazing actor who has a similar face and voice to him. Why could they not have talked him into doing it in age makeup after his father passed?
harry potter - Did the change of actor for Dumbledore change his portrayal in the later books? - Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange
I think it is fair to say that the two portrayals of Dumbledore on screen are somewhat different. (This answer explains in some depth) Richard Harris seems to come across as a little frail, while More on scifi.stackexchange.com
Which actor do you think portrayed Dumbledore the best?
Richard Harris looked exactly how I pictured Dumbledore when I first read the philosopher’s stone More on reddit.com
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September 26, 2023The Loss of Richard Harris’s Dumbledore is Frustrating in Retrospective (I don’t like Michael Gambon’s Portrayal)
I think Gambon being more over the top is a result of bad direction. His worst performance by far is in GoF and if you look at all of the performances in that movie, they’re all kind of weird and over the top. Look back at PoA and you’ll see that Gambon has a very whimsical performance similar to Harris. More on reddit.com
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November 2, 2024Why did they change Dumbledore actor in Harry Potter episode 3?
Richard Harris passed away and Michael Gambon took over More on reddit.com
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December 1, 2020Videos
08:32
Harry Potter: Behind The Scenes Of EVERY Dumbledore Actor - YouTube
02:17
Michael Gambon, Dumbledore Actor in 'Harry Potter' Films, Dead ...
John Lithgow transforms into the iconic Albus Dumbledore in ...
03:18
First Look at Albus Dumbledore in the HBO Harry Potter TV Series ...
00:42
Michael Gambon, actor who played Dumbledore in "Harry Potter" films, ...
IMDb
imdb.com › name › nm0002091
Michael Gambon | Actor, Music Department, Soundtrack
September 21, 2020 - Celebrate the life and career of stage and screen actor Sir Michael Gambon, best known for his roles in the Harry Potter films, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, and Gosford Park.See the gallery · Photos · + 245 · Gosford Park · ...
Collider
collider.com › home › movie features › harry potter: the three actors that played dumbledore, ranked
Harry Potter: The Three Actors That Played Dumbledore, Ranked
May 18, 2024 - Dumbledore was confirmed by Rowling to be an LGBTQ character, even if she's done very little to note that in her work itself. Nonetheless, Harry Potter fans (and specifically LGBTQ fans) should not have to associate Rowling's complex feelings about the character with the lovely performances that brought him to life. Each of these great actors showed a different side of the complex mentor, friend, mystery, and icon that is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Fandom
harrypotter.fandom.com › wiki › Albus_Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom
2 weeks ago - While initially unable to directly act against Gellert Grindelwald due to their past blood pact, the Ministry's surveillance of him, his love for Grindelwald, and his lingering guilt over his sister's death, Dumbledore sent Newt Scamander to New York to release the Thunderbird Frank, and later sent Newt to Paris to rescue Credence Barebone.
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TL;DR:
Not likely.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Richard Harris died on the 25th of October, 2002. The role of Dumbledore was recast for the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, for which principal photography started on 24 February 2003. The film was released in the end of May 2004 in the UK.
The fifth book of the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, saw its worldwide release on 20 June 2003.
This means that the book must have been almost if not completely finished by the time filming started. If the book-character of Dumbledore was influenced by Gambon's portrayal, it must have happened for the books after the fifth.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released on 16 July 2005. About two months before, the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire had been released. So the only portrayal of Dumbledore that could have influenced this book, was the third film.
As we all know,
Dumbledore dies at the end of the sixth book.
His appearance in the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is pretty limited because of this.
Conclusion
The only books that could have been influenced by Michael Gambon's portrayel of Dumbledore, are the sixth and the seventh, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore's part in the seventh book is pretty small.
There is only one film with Michael Gambon as Dumbledore that could have influenced Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Therefore, it's pretty unlikely that Michael Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore influenced JKR's writing.
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I'd bet JK would be the only person truly capable of answering whether or not knowing any of the actors changed how she characterised them in her writing. She claimed when Noma Dumezweni took on the role of Hermione Granger, that not only could Hermione always have been a black girl, that Noma Dumezweni "gets Hermione inside out", so I am going with it made no difference to JK who starred in the movie. Her characters were who they were.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/harrypotter › which actor do you think portrayed dumbledore the best?
r/harrypotter on Reddit: Which actor do you think portrayed Dumbledore the best?
September 26, 2023 -
[ sequel to my post from yesterday ]
Richard Harris
Michael Gambon
Jude Law
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Richard Harris looked exactly how I pictured Dumbledore when I first read the philosopher’s stone
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Richard Harris, hands down. He’s exactly like I imagined Dumbledore when I read the books. People often say he could not have portrayed Dumbledore’s powerful side, but disagree. When Quirrell announces the troll in the dungeons, and everyone is panicking, he bellows ‘SILENCE!’ and that always gives me goosebumps. He sounded pretty damn powerful and intimidating to me, and had he been healthy for the rest of the films, I wholeheartedly believe he would have been able to put that energy into his performance in later films. I have to say, though, that Michael Gambon really redeemed himself for me in HBP. Had he portrayed Dumbledore with that calmness from PoA, I would have loved him. But I really didn’t like his erratic energy in the first three films he did.
Quora
quora.com › How-many-actors-were-there-for-Dumbledore
How many actors were there for Dumbledore? - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): Well there have been a total of 4 actors who have portrayed Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore so far in JK Rowling’s Wizarding World. Those actors are : Sir Richard Harris Late Sir Richard Harris took on the mantle ...
Business Insider
businessinsider.com › business insider › entertainment › michael gambon replaced richard harris as dumbledore in 'harry potter.' here's who else was up for the role, and how gambon made it his own.
Michael Gambon replaced Richard Harris as Dumbledore in 'Harry Potter.' Here's who else was up for the role, and how Gambon made it his own.
September 28, 2023 - Michael Gambon played Albus Dumbledore in movies three to eight. Robert Mora/Getty Images/Warner Bros. Pictures · After Harris' death, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" producer Chris Columbus and director Alfonso Cuarón started the ...
CBR
cbr.com › home › movies › movie lists › every dumbledore actor in the harry potter franchise, ranked
Every Dumbledore Actor in the Harry Potter Franchise, Ranked
December 8, 2024 - Jude Law brought the younger version of the future Headmaster of Hogwarts to life in two movies, but his arc could never be completed as the fourth movie in the spinoff series was canceled, leading to only three actors that brought out the best in the character. In the first six installments of Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore was painted as the greatest wizard of all time.
Ranker
ranker.com › home › people › film characters › the three dumbledore actors from the 'harry potter' movies, ranked by magical presence
The Three Dumbledore Actors From The 'Harry Potter' Movies, Ranked By Magical Presence
April 24, 2024 - He makes the most appearances in the entire franchise, so fans have seen the character across several decades. And he's been played by three talented actors: Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/harrypotter › the loss of richard harris’s dumbledore is frustrating in retrospective (i don’t like michael gambon’s portrayal)
r/harrypotter on Reddit: The Loss of Richard Harris’s Dumbledore is Frustrating in Retrospective (I don’t like Michael Gambon’s Portrayal)
November 2, 2024 -
After reading the books, I have been watching the films for the first time ever (Just finished Goblet of Fire for those wondering). I was aware the Richard Harris died after the Chamber of Secrets was filmed, but wasn’t aware of how truly spectacular and accurate his Dumbledore portrayal truly was. I think Micheal Gambian is a good actor, but he just does not capture Dumbledore like Harris did. The softness and calmness of how he handled his character is just perfect when compared to the books, and I truly wish (I know it wasn’t his fault, but I’m just made at this shear reality) that we got all of Richard Harris’s Dumbledore.
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I think Gambon being more over the top is a result of bad direction. His worst performance by far is in GoF and if you look at all of the performances in that movie, they’re all kind of weird and over the top. Look back at PoA and you’ll see that Gambon has a very whimsical performance similar to Harris.
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I think the switch was actually beneficial. The whimsical way he was portrayed by Harris goes along with the mystical way young Harry views Dumbledore. As Harry ages, and sees Dumbledore as an actual person, the Gambon portrayal is more suitable, giving him more emotion and character.
Tankersinternational
app.tankersinternational.com › 8798464 › how-michael-gambon-got-cast-as-albus-dumbledore-in-harry-potter
How Michael Gambon Got Cast as Albus Dumbledore in ‘Harry Potter’
October 31, 2025 - The role ended up going to one of Harris’ old drinking buddies: Michael Gambon, who himself died Thursday at age 82 after suffering from pneumonia. Gambon went on to play Dumbledore in six films, putting his own personal stamp on the character, ...
MovieWeb
movieweb.com › home › movie lists › every actor who played dumbledore in the harry potter franchise, ranked
Every Actor Who Played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter Franchise, Ranked
November 25, 2023 - Michael Gambon joined the cast of Harry Potter a few months after Harris' passing, and played Dumbledore for the first time in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment of the saga.
IMDb
imdb.com › name › nm0001321
Richard Harris | Actor, Producer, Director
April 11, 2008 - Further fortune came his way with a strong performance in the blockbuster Gladiator (2000) and he became known to an entirely new generation of film fans as Albus Dumbledore in the mega-successful Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).
Facebook
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Take your first looks at John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore ...
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Richard_Harris
Richard Harris - Wikipedia
5 days ago - Harris received two Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his performances in This Sporting Life (1963), and The Field (1990). Other notable roles include in The Guns of Navarone (1961), Red Desert (1964), A Man Called Horse (1970), Cromwell (1970), Unforgiven (1992), Gladiator (2000), and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). He gained cross-generational acclaim for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), the latter of which was his final film role.
Quora
quora.com › Did-the-same-actor-play-Dumbledore-from-the-Harry-Potter-films-and-Gandalf-from-The-Lord-of-the-Rings-films
Did the same actor play Dumbledore (from the Harry Potter films) and Gandalf (from The Lord of the Rings films)? - Quora
Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris in the first two movies. However, after his death, Michael Gambon took over for all of the remaining movies.You can notice that with that change Dumbledore loses the air of the fairy-tale like grandpa.
E! Online
eonline.com › home › news › john-lithgow-as-harry-potters-dumbledore-photo-first-look
John Lithgow Debuts Long Beard as Dumbledore on Harry Potter Set
Veteran actor John Lithgow will star as Hogwarts headmaster Professor Dumbledore in the HBO series. His extensive list of credits includes Conclave, Dexter, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and The Crown.
Published October 9, 2025
BBC
bbc.com › news › articles › cgj2971zx1yo
John Lithgow: Playing Dumbledore in Harry Potter TV show will 'define me'
February 26, 2025 - US actor John Lithgow has said he is "excited" to be playing Dumbledore in the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series, adding that the role is "going to define me for the last chapter of my life".