Editing Michael Gambon (section)

=== 1980–1994: ''The Singing Detective'' and accolades ===
Gambon's powerful voice and presence were to serve him in good stead in [[John Dexter]]'s masterly staging of ''[[The Life of Galileo]]'' by [[Bertolt Brecht]] at the National Theatre in 1980, the first Brecht play to become a popular success. Hall called him "unsentimental, dangerous and immensely powerful," and ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' called his performance "a decisive step in the direction of great tragedy... great acting," while fellow actors paid him the rare compliment of applauding him in the dressing room on the first night.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prezi.com/xbshrkiwwmos/michael-gambon/|title=Michael Gambon by Maya Houser|publisher=Onlinereviewlondon.com|date=5 August 2015|access-date=26 December 2019}}</ref> In 1985, he appeared in the British drama film ''[[Turtle Diary]]'' directed by [[John Irvin]] with a screenplay adapted by [[Harold Pinter]]. The film starred [[Glenda Jackson]] and [[Ben Kingsley]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/94075/turtle-diary#overview|title= Turtle Diary|website= TCM|accessdate= November 2, 2023}}</ref>

His craggy looks soon made him into a [[character actor]], a term which Gambon disputed. For his first major [[Protagonist|lead]] role in [[Dennis Potter]]'s ''[[The Singing Detective]]'' (1986) he won his first [[British Academy Television Award]] for [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]].<ref name="BAFTA Awards">{{cite web | title=BAFTA Awards Search | website=BAFTA Awards | url=http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=Michael%20Gambon | access-date=28 September 2023}}</ref> He starred as detective Inspector [[Jules Maigret]] in [[Maigret (1992 TV series)|an ITV adaptation]] of twelve of [[Georges Simenon]]'s books. The National Theatre staged a revival of ''[[A View from the Bridge]]'' in 1987 at the [[Cottesloe Theatre]]. It was directed by [[Alan Ayckbourn]], and Gambon gave an acclaimed performance as Eddie.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2015/may/04/great-performances-michael-gambon-in-a-view-from-the-bridge-national-theatre-1987|title= Great performances: Michael Gambon in A View from the Bridge|website= The Guardian|date= 4 May 2015|accessdate= November 2, 2023|last1= Billington|first1= Michael}}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]'' said, "In the first place it shows Michael Gambon shaking hands with greatness."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviewfromthebridge.alanayckbourn.net/styled-8/index.html|title=Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website &#124; ''A View from The Bridge'' – Reviews|access-date=16 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322025542/http://aviewfromthebridge.alanayckbourn.net/styled-8/index.html|archive-date=22 March 2016}}</ref> In 1989, Gambon starred in the [[Peter Greenaway]]'s crime drama ''[[The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover]]'', which also starred [[Helen Mirren]], [[Tim Roth]] and [[Ciarán Hinds]]. Gambon played Albert Spica, "The Thief", a violent gangster. The film premiered at the [[1989 Toronto International Film Festival]]. Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' praised the performances writing, "Mirren and Gambon are among the most distinguished actors in Britain-they've played many of the principal roles in Shakespeare -- and here they find the resources to not only strip themselves of all their defenses, but to do so convincingly."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-and-her-lover-1999|title= The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover|website= Rogerebert.com|accessdate= November 2, 2023}}</ref>

In 1990, he played Jerry in [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[Ned Chaillet#Betrayal|Betrayal]]'' for [[BBC Radio 3]]. In 1991, he starred as Tommy Hanbury in an episode of the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] series ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' called "Look Who's Coming To Pinner". [[Ralph Richardson]] dubbed him ''The Great Gambon'', an accolade which stuck, although Gambon dismissed it as a circus slogan.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=51981 |supp=y|page=7|date=29 December 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/the-great-gambon-reflects-on-skylight-com-100828|title=The Great Gambon" Reflects on Skylight|work=Playbill|date=18 October 1996|access-date=13 October 2020}}</ref> But as [[Sheridan Morley]] perceptively remarked in 2000, when reviewing [[Nicholas Wright (playwright)|Nicholas Wright]]'s ''Cressida'': "Gambon's eccentricity on stage now begins to rival that of his great mentor Richardson". Also like Richardson, interviews were rarely given and raised more questions than they answered. Gambon was a very private person, a "non-starry star" as Ayckbourn called him. Off-stage he preferred to stay out of the limelight.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ucs-FWpTjp8C&q=Sheridan+Morley+michael+gambon&pg=PA144|title=Nigel Hawthorne on Stage|isbn=9781902806310|access-date=26 December 2019|last1=Riley|first1=Kathleen|date=27 April 2005|publisher=Univ of Hertfordshire Press }}</ref> He won screen acclaim, while his ravaged ''[[King Lear]]'' at [[Stratford-upon-Avon|Stratford]], while he was still in his early forties, formed a double act with a red-nosed [[Antony Sher]] as the Fool sitting on his master's knee like a ventriloquist's doll.