Editing Michael Gambon (section)

=== 1960–1979: Stage debut and National Theatre ===
[[File:Laurence Olivier (borders removed).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Laurence Olivier]], the first artistic director of the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] in 1963, was a mentor to Gambon]]
At age 24, Gambon wrote a letter to [[Micheál Mac Liammóir]], the Irish theatre [[impresario]] who ran Dublin's [[Gate Theatre]], accompanied by a [[curriculum vitae|CV]] describing a rich and wholly imaginary theatre career: he was taken on.<ref>[https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/this-is-easy-acting-standing-there-with-a-spear-anyone-can-do-that-1.656767 'This is easy, acting. Standing there with a spear. Anyone can do that'], ''[[The Irish Times]]'', 24 April 2010</ref> Gambon made his professional stage debut in the Gate Theatre's 1962 production of ''[[Othello]]'', playing "Second Gentleman", followed by a European tour. A year later, auditioning with the opening [[soliloquy]] from ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'', he caught the eye of [[Laurence Olivier]] who was recruiting promising actors for his new [[National Theatre Company]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/such-memories-of-laurence-olivier-8942238.html|title=Such memories of Laurence Olivier|work=[[Evening Standard]]|date=15 November 2013 |access-date=15 November 2013}}</ref> Gambon, along with [[Robert Stephens]], [[Derek Jacobi]] and [[Frank Finlay]], was hired as one of the "to be renowned" and played any number of small roles, appearing on cast lists as "Mike Gambon". The company initially performed at the [[Old Vic]], their first production being ''[[Hamlet]]'', directed by Olivier and starring [[Peter O'Toole]]. Gambon played for four years in many NT productions, including named roles in ''[[The Recruiting Officer]]'' and ''[[The Royal Hunt of the Sun]]'', working with directors [[William Gaskill]] and [[John Dexter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/apr/23/guesteditors2|title=Interview: Michael Gambon|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=23 April 2004 |access-date=23 April 2004}}</ref>

Gambon made his film debut in [[Laurence Olivier]]'s ''[[Othello (1965 British film)|Othello]]'' alongside [[Maggie Smith]] and [[Derek Jacobi]] in 1965.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://movieweb.com/michael-gambon-best-performances-ranked/|title= Michael Gambon's Best Performances, Ranked|website= Movieweb|date= 26 July 2022|accessdate= November 2, 2023}}</ref> After three years at the Old Vic, Olivier advised Gambon to gain experience in provincial rep. In 1967, he left the National Theatre for the [[Birmingham Repertory Company]], which was to give him his first crack at the title roles in ''[[Othello]]'' (his favourite), ''[[Macbeth]]'' and ''[[Coriolanus]]''.<ref name="BBC News-2023">{{Cite news |date=28 September 2023 |title=Obituary: Sir Michael Gambon, star of The Singing Detective and Harry Potter |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39408742 |access-date=28 September 2023}}</ref> In 1967, he made his television debut in the [[BBC]] television adaptation of ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' as Watchman No. 4. He also appeared in British programmes such as ''[[Softly, Softly (TV series)|Softly, Softly]]'' (1967) and ''[[Public Eye (TV series)|Public Eye]]'' (1968). From 1968 to 1970, he featured in the BBC historical series ''[[The Borderers]]'' as Gavin Kerr. He also had a recurring role in the Canadian series ''[[The Challengers (TV series)|The Challengers]]'' (1972). He also appeared in drama anthology series including ''[[Play for Today]]'', ''[[Play of the Month]]'' and ''[[ITV Playhouse]]''.

In 1974, [[Eric Thompson]] cast him as the melancholy vet in [[Alan Ayckbourn]]'s ''[[The Norman Conquests]]'' at [[Greenwich]].<ref name="BBC News-2023" /> A speedy transfer to the [[West End theatre|West End]] established him as a comic actor, squatting at a crowded dining table on a tiny chair and agonising over a choice between black or white coffee. Back at the National, now on the [[South Bank]], his next turning point was [[Peter Hall (theatre director)|Peter Hall]]'s premiere staging of [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[Betrayal (play)|Betrayal]]'',<ref name="BBC News-2023" /> a performance marked by subtlety – a production photograph shows him embracing [[Penelope Wilton]] with sensitive hands and long slim fingers (the touch of a master clock-maker). He is also one of the few actors to have mastered the demands of the vast [[Olivier Theatre]]. As [[Simon Callow]] once said: "Gambon's iron lungs and overwhelming charisma are able to command a sort of operatic full-throatedness which triumphs over hard walls and long distances". After his film debut, Gambon was asked by [[James Bond]] producer [[Cubby Broccoli]] to audition for the role in 1970, to replace [[George Lazenby]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXguwtZQYGQ|title= Michael Gambon's James Bond audition|date= 18 April 2010|via= YouTube|accessdate= November 2, 2023}}</ref> He acted in the British horror films ''[[Nothing But the Night]]'' (1973) and ''[[The Beast Must Die (1974 film)|The Beast Must Die]]'' (1974).

In 1976 he took the part of Lieutenant Commander Rogers in a filmed version of the play [[French Without Tears]] by Terence Rattigan, for a TV episode of the series 'BBC Play of the Month', directed by John Gorrie, with Nicola Pagett, Anthony Andrews, Barbara Kellerman, Tim Woodward and Nigel Havers. Set in a French Villa, the action takes place in a cram school for adults needing to acquire French for business reasons. Scattered throughout are Franglais phrases and schoolboy misunderstandings of the French language.