Michael Gambon

The definitive and only authorised biography of Sir Michael Gambon, the Olivier and BAFTA Award-winning actor, featuring exclusive access to his family and personal archive alongside never-before-seen images.

The son of working-class Irish immigrants, Michael Gambon left school with no qualifications and began his working life as an apprentice toolmaker. He went on to become one of the greatest actors of his generation, with a remarkable career spanning theatre, television and film.

From his years in Laurence Olivier’s newly-formed National Theatre to acclaimed performances in The Life of Galileo, A View from the Bridge and Skylight; from his work with Harold Pinter and Alan Ayckbourn to The Singing Detective and his iconic role as Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, Gambon’s career spanned some of the defining productions of the last fifty years.

Jasper Rees, arts journalist and Sunday Times bestselling biographer, interviewed Gambon more than any other living journalist. With exclusive access to his family and personal archive, Rees now tells the extraordinary story of Gambon’s life, career and enduring legacy.

Intensely private, mischievous and renowned for spinning outrageous tall tales, Gambon was as surprising offstage as he was mesmerising in performance. Featuring never-before-seen images and drawing on 150 interviews with actors, writers, directors and friends, this intimate portrait separates the man from the myths and offers new insight into one of Britain’s most revered performers.

Funny, moving and revelatory, Michael Gambon is the definitive biography of an extraordinary life and a remarkable legacy in British theatre, television and film.