Michael Gambon's Favorite Dumbledore Line Will Break Your Heart
Michael Gambon was a storied actor and a consummate gentleman. The performer had over 170 credits to his name before he passed away at the age of 82, with his final role being in the 2019 movie, "Cordelia." While many will know his name and face from his parts in films like "Sleepy Hollow," "Paddington 2," "Layer Cake," and "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," one of his roles is so iconic that will almost certainly define how he's remembered.
After Richard Harris died in advance of the third "Harry Potter" movie, Gambon took on the central role of Albus Dumbledore in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." From then on, Gambon would reprise the role for the remainder of the series and make the role very much his own as a result.
However, when it comes to that legacy, the actor chose a very simple line as his favorite one to deliver in the franchise. Toward the end of the final film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Dumbledore appears one last time after his death and speaks to Harry (Daniel Radcliffe). Gambon thought back on this moment and selected the line "Harry," which he says reverently to his former student, as his favorite Dumbledore line in the franchise.
The line is more meaningful than one might initially think
The footage of the actor confirming his favorite line emerged from a popular TikTok video with the caption, "Wands up." Though this might not seem like the most likely choice for Michael Gambon's favorite Dumbledore line, it's easy to see why he chose it. After Dumbledore is murdered by Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), the character still comes to Harry during his time of need and offers him words of encouragement from beyond the grave.
While Gambon no doubt thought about his own mortality in this moment, the line itself is heartbreaking in its simplicity. Over the course of the "Harry Potter" series, Dumbledore serves as a mentor, teacher, friend, and father figure for Harry, and his absence is deeply felt after his demise. A visibly emotional Gambon explained, "My favorite line is when I appear as a ghost on the platform, and I say 'Harry,'" the actor recalled. "And I felt like crying. That's my favorite line."
Though nothing can fill the loss of such a monumental performer like Gambon, fans will still at least have his many performances to remember him by, and chief among them will likely always be that of the kindly old wizard, Albus Dumbledore, in the "Harry Potter" franchise.