Who played Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?

Michael Gambon played Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Gambon took over the role after Richard Harris, who had played Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, died in October 2002. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was Gambon’s first appearance as the Hogwarts headmaster, and he continued in the part through the remaining six films.

His version of Dumbledore appears more physically active and sometimes more forceful than Harris’s earlier portrayal, reflecting both Gambon’s acting style and the increasingly dangerous events of the later stories. In the third film, Dumbledore oversees Hogwarts during the threat posed by Sirius Black and the escape of the prisoner from Azkaban.

Richard Harris therefore belongs to the first two films, while Gambon is associated with films three through eight. This change is one of the most frequently asked casting facts in the movie series.