Michael Gambon | Full Q&A | Oxford Union

I shouldn't be here really I'm so frightened gone start now we'll start we'll start well we're very glad that you are here thanks Amy I know that you don't like interviews much so we'll make sure this is a conversation not to lose running round no it's fine you've got your lapel mic on you all right thank you very much we can hear you can everyone hear you can hear me it's all rubbish generic gone where's a great pleasure to have you here so thank you thank you I think we should obviously start off with Harry Potter and Dumbledore yeah because that's what you're most well-known for nowadays and when you took on that role of Dumbledore did you feel great pleasure in replacing Richard haveth who of course died after the first two films no I I knew I knew Richard I knew quite well I snuck around with him and was when he died in this second year of Harry Potter and they rang me up and I jumped at it I didn't have to think at all that's kind of happy and then so I just pretended I knew him quite well and I copied him a bit and I turned up at the studios and did it that's all not quite as simple as that we didn't have to audition if the role they just no I didn't know they'd let me do it and my first entrance as Dumbledore I drew and I went up a staircase and I ran up and the director came out said you mustn't do that I said what he said run up I said well I want to run up and he said no our other door other actor didn't run up possible I'm going to run home so I run up and then he never spoke to me again do you ever have to audition for roles anymore or do you always know I've been very lucky I don't think I've ever auditioned for a part and I'm telling you the truth I can't look back at my long you know 200 year journey yeah I never had a audition I did addition months for Sir Laurence and I I was 20 something very young and I didn't know who he was and he said to me what are you going to do and I said Richard of the 3rd and anyway he said go back to the end of the room and start the speech and I went back and I got to the end of the room I was shaking with fear and I put my hand round the column and spun round terrified I said was ever woman in this nature wooed and with that of course I cut my hand open on the pole this was a nail there and Olivier came running down to me said oh god what's happened I said it doesn't matter he says it and he held you give me a hanky and he said go home that's serious I said not serious is it reached just cut a bit so he had no note going I want you to go home he said I've got to go anyway so I went home and two days later I got a phone call offering me a job so that's the way today and I was there for three and a half years with him well of course alone Olivier was one of your great mentors around Richardson as well yeah what was it like working with them I loved them although they're great you know I'm I after after I'd been with Olivier for three and a half years I asked for an appointment with him and he said what do you want I said I want to know if I can have bigger parts and he said what you want me to sack other actors to give you a part and I said no he was just mucking about he wasn't serious anyway within two weeks he'd got me a series or time at the the theater in the middle in the Midlands I can't remember was called but I'd stayed there another year so he was very kind to me that's very happy let's go back to Dumbledore of course when you took on the role everyone noticed quite a change in the character yeah wise wispy old man to a more assertive figure that you played yeah was that a conscious change or not not really I just played I just you know you read a script and the script rings bells in your head and you you make up dreams about what you've just read and so when I went on to do Dumbledore I knew how to play him I can't tell you how but you get something inside you that tells you what you're going to do from a script of the stripping script informs you the process sort of good ones bad ones don't so it inform me of something and I went on that step age for the my first performance and I know one said that was bad no one said that was good either and AH I went and I was there for the rest of six years was it you were there other changes to the character that you tried to make know there was one quite funny one which I threatened to make him gay know what's her name who wrote Harry Potter told me she told me that Dumbledore was gay and she just decided that day that he was gay you know we've been on for about three years and so I started I started all that sort of stuff we're on the set you know and the threat to came running over to me - what are you doing what you're doing I said the woman who wrote this play told me I was gay she said no she didn't as a dish it so she was there then he asked her and she's only mucking about but I he she did want Dumbledore to be end up as being gay but that's true--but but I didn't play gay I just played where I am now but that bit you know it made me laugh a bit something though she didn't she didn't tell you in advance everything about the character you had to learn as you were no never told me your thing never never spoke to me about the character she I mean I must have been doing alright because she's always spoke to him was a nice girl nice woman and I never had any problems at all how much of the rest of the story were you told in advance before it all came out did you know that Snape was going to turn out to be good all along no they made that up as they went along didn't they I mean they gave you a script that you know will last you know that year that six months rivers shoot was but the next year script would be different you just read that so you didn't know it in France what was happening so you are learning like waterboxxes hands as you went along learning what you were just learning about the story yes I learned the story as you go along and then in the end they decided to kill me I can't say I blame them and so they made me they killed me in the last one before the last wasn't it he pushed me off a mountain you know that that bugger what's his name he now he died a few weeks ago he was my best friend what's his name Alan Rickman Alan Rickman Alan Rickman had to kill me throw me off the side of the mound and that's what he did and that's how we ended it but I came back as a dead man the following year when I had to walk along with with Daniel Radcliffe and he's holding my hand you see remember that I'm floating oh it was best my best part there's a well-known story of you and Alan Rickman playing a prank on Daniel Radcliffe by putting a fart machine walking playing a prank apparent a prank a joke a practical joke yeah joke oh well you put a fart machine in his sleeping bag on the set yeah we had to the director told me that I got to hide Daniel wanted to sleep next to a beautiful girl next to all with next to a width anyway he picked out if Daniel picked out the beautiful girl on the other side of the set we had 500 girls in there that night boys and because Daniel wanted her to be in the sleeping bag next to his so that was all arranged but then the director worked out a little thing he pushed up into the seating sleeping bag some sort of a oh he slid into the Stephen bag a fart machine so that when Daniel got into it and laid down he went and the girl heard that and didn't want to be next to him anymore so he ruined his chance sir was that what you asked me in the first play was it was have you been involved in any other planks and platica jokes on set me yeah all my life I've never taken no I had been mentioned number of the time I've been in place since for the past 52 years a long time and I've never stopped talking about Rob you know God trying to be funny so I've been in loads of things where you if sometimes you're in a play for a year in the West End that's real bad and I nearly killed me boredom deep boredom having to do a play for 12 months eight times a week when everything and so I used to most actors and get away I get away in the first three months can't be they can now you just say I can't carry on with this but in those days I did a year and what was your questions what kind of practical joke did you get oh well you can't help a practical jokes when you're that bored you know in trying to do a play you want to do your best in front of the audience because they paid money to see it but there are little elements of boredom that you can slide in without them knowing you know I don't have bits of paper dirty words or less awesome is that word and I'm sitting I don't know what I'm talking about do you have any favorite quotes from Albus Percival we'll thick lying Dumbledore Sagan do I have any quote any favorite quotes any favorite lines it said of Dumbledore yeah not really I soon as you did Harry Potter I think I was in it for eight years and immediately it finishes it finished about what five years ago six years ago everything I've forgotten oops we've gone so I wish I could remember but I know did you ever come off the set off the long day of filming get home and start waving around the stick and try and unlock your front door or clean your glasses or and I washing up done now I'm in a jade hat for God's sake I'll tell you a secret Daniel Radcliffe and I and he was very young and we used to go round when no one's looking around the back of the set and smoke and he was what how old were he been 14 15 that was a big secret so that that's a big memory of Harry Potter smoking around the corner am i doing am i doing all right of course we've got the the new film coming out fantastic beasts and where to find them the new series of films are we going to see you making an appearance in any of them no they wouldn't let people who've been in Harry Potter in that would they no evil up at all no they know I don't know they've stopped that completely they're all completely different people on me I think so I'm sure no there's no one in that it was in the original one okay but you do like working with JK Rowling and and her books you were also starving in the Casual Vacancy yeah she wrote casually losers right is there something about how writing that you particularly like him a crazy to work with I just think she's bringing adored the stuff she writes it's really clever stuff and so I've I mean it's not right why you do it play I didn't do Harry Potter because she wrote it I did the Harry Potter because I want the money as he and you and then she wrote the other play what was it called the casual they can Casual Vacancy and I did that for the money as well but everything you do has something to do is how much you're getting for it most actors ask how much I can it get it that's quite important and then they they worry about the quality of writing but her quality is good so no that's a simple dessert I'm glad it's not you stocks of students who are concerned about money and getting high paid jobs when they graduate well they will when they graduate yes I'm sure they will they'd all get very little money because it's not just JK Rowling that you've worked with you've been in some phenomenal roles whether it's Dad's Army or a fellow King Lear the caretaker Brideshead Revisited is there a favorite character that you've played throughout your career I did Galileo at the National which I loved it was the most the hardest part I've ever played and it was a big hit and it's I played the main principal role and I'll never forget it most important thing in my life really I I hit the button we know when you read them scraped and you're doing a play and you just I just knew this is for me and so from the probably the entire my life and I I loved it and it ran for a long time in the National and I did well outer it got a little work out of it and it sticks its most important thing I can remember really any roles that you turned out which you della Greta no I never turned down a role always taken because I don't get offered many now it's nice a lot of course you were suggested at one point for the role of James Bond I went up cannabis went to an office in London the tenor actors and we all sat round the circle and with cubby broccoli you know him he's the Jonathan well he well that he called us that one by one we didn't know what this was all about and I got out there and he said you know what this is about I said no he said well I've just been stung by a model that meant he'd been stung by an actor who I can't remember the actor's name you know who here ended up getting below who didn't get the role he was played for him and then was sacked and we were asked to take over from him and I said well I can't take over from him he said right why not it's a great role I said yeah but I've got no hair I got a double chin fat gut and I don't look like him at all he said well we can alter all that you know so I didn't get it but that was James Bond and none of us got it one boy in the end got it and then they cancelled it gave him 12,000 pounds of tip and he was out of it so they got some other actor into players it's now famous words he knew his name wasn't it George Nathan B George no no but this was George Lazenby the one that was made oh okay yeah did that did you understand what I said anyone yeah but you wish to take James Bond no it would be how could be James Bond I would need to add to just being like a laughs wouldn't it like a comedy show no I wouldn't Monday and Justin Bieber has got lots of fans who call themselves beliebers and without wanting too many Harry Potter pants T Slytherin to our conversation huh do you have a Dumbledore's army of fans of what of a fans oh I can't hear problem do you have a Dumbledore's Army of fans well I get stopped in the street I got a Dumbledore fans here sorry I couldn't you yeah I mean kids stop you you get better Noida and at Alvar Aalto adults talk to industry when kids stop you and say you Jane by yo you Dumbledore I say yeah they'd love it and then you write them a letter and do that know that I love that I like kids liking Harry Potter it's not really for adults we do you have adults coming up to you as well and asking for ya sometimes they come up and ask you tell you you thought they thought you were brilliant and Harry Potter you know they're lying of course you just carry on no I do like you said last year that you were giving up theater work due to difficulty in remembering yeah well I can't remember lions anymore I've had a terrible it's been like that for about six or seven years now I can't remember lines I read the script but they won't go in so I can't do stage anymore and I miss it terribly except I do a bit in Dublin something sometimes a friend of mine not very long things but so now I have an earpiece electric earpiece this is for drama you know films and electric a piece with a little cord and now I can see it and you have a girl or man in the wings who give you the whole lines and everything so she's sitting there reading the script on a loudspeaker to you and you can hear it and so it makes life much easier the audience never know what do you think ever it's pretty good lopa luck to them yeah yeah it's very American a lot of American actors have that they can't be bothered to learn the lines so they have it coming through Alfie I know Johnny Depp who I know well told me that he's never learnt lines he has the plug and the person in the wings and that's the way he gets it he refers it that way there must have been a very difficult decision though having acted your whole life to say theatre acting I can no longer do yeah it makes me cry because I I miss it so much I did I've done over forty fifty over 25 players in the West End in public theaters and have been on the national and RSC's Stratford all my life and I miss it so badly it makes me cry but there's nothing I can do about it so I have to do the old you know in the air so does that mean you'll just be carrying on with TV work and film well yeah we get off with it film work and TVs quite nice you know so I seen that busy with you that won't be stopping anytime soon no toys so as I do a lot of radio rush though we open up to the audience of course we have to rush we have to talk about your your crowning achievement which of course was having gambled corner named after you on top of a racetrack top gear yeah well I'm a top man on that you know I've known Jeremy for years and he's two mates and I used that I love doing that and now they taking it all away from him but I don't I can't watch it anymore I can't watch top you anymore have you seen his new one he's not watching this oh no I wouldn't watch it but I like him so much but he used to tell me when to smash the car into walls and how to do it in order to raise a bit of fun you know a quite good driver you know so if they ask you back and they said come and do Gambon corner one more time I'd do it again yeah absolutely yeah absolutely if I was last I'd certainly love to do it great thank you we're going to open up to questions from the audience and we will start with the question from the gentleman on the front row and you appeared on Doctor Who a few years ago for the Christmas special again Thorin you appeared on Doctor Who for the Christmas special a few years ago how did you find the experience and would you ever or would you have ever considered playing for doctor yourself this was Doctor Who yes yes I did appear I did appear on it where a year ago and what what did you want to know just how did how did you find the experience oh well I love anything that I any job I get offered like no Doctor Who Christ I'd grab it straight away I wasn't ready was I good as Doctor Who I don't remember I just it was a great episode well yeah yeah no yes I think so you hear any doctor who's going I'm the one for thank you we'll go to the question from the gentleman on the second road as they were hurt thank you very much for for your talk I was wondering if you might be interested in reprising your role as the prime minister and a potential sequel to L eg in the house oh that was one of my best ever performance is having a DG in the house iris but what was I you were the prime minister I was the prime minister in that one it was an enormous hit I never stopped working after him anyway if you believe that you believe anything anymore I will go to the question towards the back of the chamber the member in the short sleeve shirt yes without bloody hearing one of the parts that we enjoyed watching you in it was dancing at Lughnasa and it made it clear that you haven't forgotten your Irish roots I would could you say something about what it's like living as an actor with an Irish background in the UK Oh me being an Irish actor yeah well I am I was born in in Dublin and came to London where I was I think I was 6 I I'm still Irish I always speak Irish at home with my mom and dad and that's how I talk when I there and whenever I go to Dublin I'm like that it's completely natural to me and so I love I'll unpack I'm going to Ireland next week to start a film so it's part of my life really but I've been here since I was six how many retained Englishmen do you feel more English or Irish I feel English now Jenny the truth I've been here all my life and although I I go back to Dublin a lot I feel cause I feel English but I tell the Irish well I'm answer thank you I can we go to the question yeah just sort of two ways in front of you thank you shout you worked several times with Harold Pinter what was that like and Harold I Howard was a strange man I knew him very well and got to be a friend of his he was great he was a a two-faced person he he would um when he got drunk you speak like that way you know I was but when he was with his wife he was very like the talk for impossibly like they good in the log so you never really knew where you were at Harold and I helped I went to his grave when he was buried and we all read poems for him I was firmly attached to him I think he liked me I was always he gave me lots of work and I remember when he first married just got married this posh house in London I was having dinner at the table this is just a thing about Harold and I had my knife and fork and he correct me that he was sitting next to me sir you're not holding a knife and fork properly Michael and I should hope so he gave me a little lesson in how to hold the knife all these pleas like that he was doing this you know he don't even learnt it himself the who he told me had a wine apple and that's a strong memory I have loved Harold I would always keep that with me that memory is stronger than the memories of working with him no they're not real it's better the memories of being with him and acting is writing he was a brilliant writer and I was I was privileged to being lots of his plays yeah he wonderful who's the greatest lighter or director that you've had the pit well I think Harold Harold I really like that because he's so real and present and speaks his mind and is accurate and he's a mace and horses a favor yeah we'll go to the question from the lady about three or four goes back on my left-hand side all right hi thank you for coming in talking with us today would you ever consider writing anything or would you have ever considered writing anything no never am i right ha I'm not I'm not now I wrote loud be lovely wouldn't it but I know I've been dreaming it it's like the lasting on the earth I do you know it'd rather drive me car no I wouldn't write but I love reading a good good good plays good writing I'm fixing firearms oh honey you shouldn't mention I collect antique firearms people look at me a bit funny when I say that but they're all from this from the 17th century mainly and so they're all old and not going to harm anyone but they're very beautiful things and I'm odd enough to collect them that's all Oh No thank you I'll get the question from the member on the back row by the door so take thank you very much I know Gambon it's a pleasure to see you in person and not on telly on film my question is um I saw you recently in a documentary playing Winston Churchill as latter years and I was blown away truthfully I know you say I don't lie I'm I'm telling truth this timely whatnot um do you did you have to research into the role of Winston Churchill look at what he was like through the circle of friends he had at the time just about six months ago I had the privilege of playing Winston Churchill directed by a friend of mine and I was terrified and so he he got some of my best friends to be the other characters in the play and it was relaxed me I've never enjoyed it's the best thing I've ever done I think I really think is the best acting I've ever done and and it seems to have disappeared of it it's a full story of the time when Winston Churchill had a had a stroke he had a stroke and couldn't speak and it was the he was brought back to life and ended okay but I I did about six months ago and I think it's the best thing I've ever done I really I sort of fell into it I felt I felt what it was like to be him and all those things and because we've all seen him all our lives we've seen him you see him all the time so we know what he looks like we know what he speaks like and I tried my best to do all that the speech I tried to change it slightly so it wasn't so it looked like someone trying to play him but because I didn't want to be too obvious and I think I longed someone who asked me that question because I I just loved it thank you thank you how did you research the role I didn't I wasn't mean the director had done so much research into him that he just filled me with it and so I I got to know got to realize what was going on at Sur and I I think I got through it quite well really and I'm that's amazing I'd forgotten all about it hasn't been seen since thank you and I get the question from the lady just in front of you hi sir I was wondering if you had a process for getting to the minds of each character you play and how you transition from one role to the next and if I may a last question as well if you had a favorite role out of all the ones that your fade what's to do it we do it speaking or finding the character isn't it how do you get into a character well I would search between them I don't know you just you get a script and you read it thoroughly and it starts growing in you and you can feel it and you can in yourself or your lines and it you begin to make it part of you what two thing he says comes in doesn't it everything the writer wants to be known out of this thing so on it goes and you just keep trying sometimes it's impossible some some actors certain actors aren't suitable for certain parts but there are many I can't play I can't think of them now but but when you land with someone that really belite the slight Winston Churchill when the part really hits you and you think I know this I don't know how you do it you just keep doing it over and over again till it sort of sinks in and it's just a bit of luck I think maybe I don't mmm what was that would that make any sense all that when you go onto the sattell onto the when you're preparing to go out onto the theatre stage do you have to spend a long time kind of getting into the role you do initially on the first day of the performance of the Nationals say on the first evening that go dad get up of course you're terrified you all are waiting backstage but as the play goes on for the over the next few months it gets easier and easier and in the end you have more command of it that's if it's made to suit you if it doesn't if it's not right for you then you went how much chance anyway that's all I know thank you we'll go to the question from the gentleman towards the back of the chamber on the left thank you so much for a talk so I'm wondering that for Harry Potter series it lasted six or seven years so they say that on the last day of the set a lot of the actors were quite emotional so I'm asking you how did you feel on the last day of the set knowing that a character you have played for seven years like this is the last time that you will be playing it a wheel it was terrible we all got together backstage on the last night and got a bit tearful it was sad breaking up and doing even bit people for well I don't know eight years or something you get very fond of them and and then it's all breaking up and disappearing and you will never see this again as Olga it was it was tear time bit of crying went on bit of thing about give me your telephoto we were each other's telephone numbers and I'm random yet but Britain but that's how you feel and you you want to see everyone again you've got so close to them it's just sad it happens in all places and like clays I've done in the West End where you you with a cast for six months and you may we never see them again and it's a it's tough you will say you will it was maybe even want to make where they live and all so rubbish ring hmm anyway thank you we'll go to the question from the gentleman on the second row on my left thank you very much for coming and for your talk I was wondering if you'd noticed in drama any degree of sexism in terms of casting in in terms of the age of actors in that there's been a lot of allegations certainly around the BBC around a lot of programs a lot of dramas where all the men are more willing to be cast than all the women I can't quite work that out so tell me what well I think I'm in suddenly in the acting industry you'll find often a lot of older men or casts roles whereas older women perhaps aren't so much and you think that it's sexism in acting a problem no I mean I don't think there should be any any consideration of that sort of things you I mean men and women play parts in films and plays with complete with everywhere else behind them there's no setting the question yeah that is do you think there's any problem of sexism in acting no I've never run into sexism no I never have or maybe I couldn't see it but I I've never run into it I don't think it's I think in the theatre that I belong to it doesn't happen there's no sexism Missouri I don't think or I might be wrong am I wrong speak up baby wrong am I wrong you think there is women don't get hearts after a certain age I see what you mean maybe you're right though and so women don't get parts in old age as much as men do middling well if that's true they promise me I said sounds true to me it's shocking why should the women get the parts I don't know the answer adding is outrageous massa it's very easy to persuade the greatest professor of the magical world ever to have lived yeah that's right it's true can we go to the question on the back row on my left please I'll never hear it and thank you very much and one of a and one of the best television performances I've ever seen is of you in The Singing Detective by Dennis Potter and when I watched some of the interviews given by Dennis Potter I noticed a lot of physical similarities between your performance and him and I was just wondering whether you based your performance on him because he didn't think of it as autobiographical yeah well I I I had to be I had to look like Dennis and I had to have the hands and Dennis I was in terrible state he was crucified he's back her body was his hands where his fingers were stopping I mean he was terrible and I copied all that in the film the television play and and the way he walked the other hump he couldn't walk very well so I tried to copy all that in little stages as the filming went or one Elford we shot it for seven months and there's a point when he gradually gets better it was the end of the play gets better so I listened to him all the time he used to come and talk to me while I lying on my bed in the hospital laughter those scenes and he'd tell me in a situation and I'd mentally take it all in and I did my very best as to give him what he wanted so it's as simple as that really so you Ethel you watched it watch him all the time note how he walks how he moves what he does with his hand is Hazaribagh holding nothing so that was my I just responded to that and did it as best as I could I think it was alright remember there's a wonderful scene at the end where where me and my wife leave and he's now back feeling good anyway that's all thank you I had a question on the front leg he's right there dozens will make sure they can hear me are you believe the three biggest names in among the sort of younger generation of British actors Tommy Littlestone Eddie Redmayne Benedict Cumberbatch they're all privately educated there they went to public school specifically to and eaten one went to Harrow do you think today acting and the opportunities in acting I reserved for the most privileged people no no I think I think I thought about that those three guys I know they're all there there's just by accident isn't it it's nothing but isn't that right you agree it's just by sheer instanced as they've got those three actors came like that I mean it could well have been three I don't know I don't think it relevant I don't think it matters do you agree yes you're you're one of those yeah and I think I think that it doesn't it doesn't mean commit coming through into a thought it doesn't matter for the record I'm not one of those i winter's day so anyway don't do that but they must have had opportunities which so many young people don't have and what advice would you give to people who are trying to break into the acting world well I think how now it's really difficult because there are so many actors out there every city in England has a Drama School that was never the case before was it so drama schools are now all I'm not exaggerating doing nothing that's probably that they're all dramas will so and kids go to these places and they're queuing up to become actors and I suppose I started the day when there weren't many people wanting to be actors I don't know maybe I'm wrong but I've never seen so many drama schools I mean there's usually the before in London and that was it that um I think it's too many children being encouraged to try and do something that they could do better so do you think there should be fewer drama schools people think that yeah do you think they wouldn't be doesn't it encourage more more children to go on to become actors a forum every every city has a Drama School in it we would am I talking sense well it's not a good thing getting people involved you love acting you don't want to see young people getting involved like there are too many aren't there I mean the work in the work in drama in this little England we live in is is not big enough to take it isn't if it is then of course but I think I get the feeling isn't these are so many children and young people are unemployed and no - you know so do you think it's much harder for people nowadays to really make it as a yeah it is I really do think I think that's because of the growth and a number of schools with you being that I'm just think we'll get back to the audience questions can we go to the lady in the red top about three rows back hi I just wanted to ask how did you decide do you want to be an actor and what would you be if you were intern actor um I will I started interacting when I watched Marlon Brando in a film and I saw this with a friend of mine I was very young and we then were walking down the street which had an amateur theater in it and we looked through the doors and there was acting going on and I said my friend said to me that's what Marlon Brando has been doing and I couldn't work it out he said the one we've just seen in the film Marlon Brando he's doing that I said please not him bear doing it now as he said no but that is called acting and what he's doing is acting and it set me off on this pretty thing that I had so as I went to this little drama school and which was in North London and I started there they let me do things it was an amateur theater with some professional actors up in his inton and that's where I went and I couldn't get rid of myself and and finally I go away simple as that you trained as an engineer didn't you yeah I said would you beam an engineer if you weren't I don't know I wouldn't be I don't think it took is the engineering was six years it's a long times man and by like time I got to the end to the end of the six years I wanted to be an actress thank you can we go to the question light at the back on the back room chamber hi so your image and acting style seems to make you equally able to play kind of to put it simply bad guy roles and good guy roles whether it's the kind of ruthless gang stirring layer cake or it's the wise professor dumbledore from Harry Potter do you personally have a preference between playing kind of evil or bad roles or being the good guy well I'd like to get to do different things if I get the opportunity to pick someone completely different the other way I'll jump at it it's just a matter of concentration having the ability to make yourself become somebody else it's just something I've learnt to do I don't do it very well but I mean I I constantly I'm constantly thinking about that dude how how the person talks what their hair looks like how they move what they're thinking what are they what sort of life that they had was the life are they having are they happy are they crying all those things how do they walk out of there it's all today built and then sometimes you can't get to that point you want to get to in the rehearsal room where you just can't be written so you do your best but very rarely it all comes out like a dream I do I do try and change my acting considerably depending on what it is and you either hit the button or you don't and there's not much you can do about it man but I don't know I didn't know what I've been in some things in I say at the National Theatre I've done players which I've been terrible in and you you never forget it is like being in a nightmare I've been through that process and it's really hard and you try your best but you're just not right and I knew your confidence lives away as the play goes on as as rehearsals come near opening night coming there and you just can't get it the director starts shouting at you and I've been through this situation quite a few times and it's just a matter of luck I think the right choice of part the right choice so that you've been chosen by the right man that sounds a load of rubbish I I just can't explain what is what it's like thank you and the question on the press bench so in the Harry Potter films who was your favorite person to work with and your least favorite person to work with oh god I there was no least favorite but but I quite like Maggie Smith I've known her for years ever since I told her a lie when I was a little boy I had to pick her up in Harry Potter do you remember that seems a dance scene and I had to pick her up like that during the dance right up is there and and um she used to give me terrible time because as I let let her go back of course I touched her breasts and I she said you did that again I'll kill you why should I I'm Maggie I can't bloody get you down and a powder I'm gonna get you down like that said don't do it again so I was I've always loved megafest but at the same time always been a bit frightened do you mean that I had to tell you a story I when I was a boy I got a part of the National Theatre and I couldn't believe I was at the National Theatre not speaking and the first day I arrived late in the rehearsal room and the director shouted your life the second day I was late and I knew that he would throw me out for real I typed this is a terrible story I climbed the storage stairs and have the Old Vic Theatre it was then to the top story where we had the big rehearsal room I walked in the rehearsal room and as I walked I sigh crying and shaking and Maggie Smith nagisa was mad with you I said I'm my my mother's just dying and she said what I said what do you say I said my mom's dead well I mean Jesus cuz she went she grabbed me so what are you doing how should i I had to come here cuz I've got rehearsal and the director who would have thrown me out came up to you go home eat and go home this minute how dare you leave your dead mother there so he said I don't want to see you for a month I didn't even speak in the play I just stood at the back with it with it within how bad the spear like that I thought for four hours we you wouldn't want to stay there with you and I he said I didn't want to see you again for a month just go go home he was and I went out I went home told my mom I told everyone but she died and my mom decided lushness up laughing for an hour and that's it that's a story what was your question what did you say for me well the question was who he was your favorite person you worked with in house oh well there you are oh well it's Maggie Smith now and again I wouldn't lie to get to nearer as you kill me I loathe Maggie I suppose do you tell a lot of lies I don't dare to touch I exaggerate things but the story about the being dead is true oh I shouldn't have told you yesterday anyway that's it so how much of what you told us tonight has been true I haven't told you any lies tonight I don't think so maybe small things were not Liv's not big lies I don't know let's get to know thank you we've got time for a couple more questions we'll go to the gentleman in the gray top on the bench all right hi thank you very much for coming I'm wondering has there ever been any specific character or perhaps historical figures that you always wanted to portray on stage or maybe in a film but you never had the chance to do you agree that had there been any historical figures that you've wanted to portray no not not really I've never felt I just played Churchill I just told you that story I've and I was I didn't want to play when he first came approached me on it and I thought I could never play that but it just happened and I work it out all right um no I played King Lear and Kalla day on all these roles and I didn't really want to never been anyone else so what would play good thing thank you the question on the front lay thanks another question about Harry Potter I'm afraid and you worked a lot with JK Rowling and obviously you spent seven or eight years working on Harry Potter and there's been a lot of media controversy recently over the casting of a black actress to play Hermione Granger in the stage production of Harry Potter and I just wondering what your view on that is well I I just think it's all my view is it doesn't matter what color you are today I mean this was a black actress we move on to black it doesn't matter if you forget it in five minutes wouldn't you want to when it's during the tabs get up on the play the person who's in it talking does all that and you can forget about it or color they are for god sake is nonsense isn't it it's so annoying it is being judged by color it's a load of bollocks it doesn't matter what color you are does it a similar discussion has been whether interest Elba should be the next James Bond do you think you should be well yeah brilliant doesn't he even I don't carry these plays Jane eeep if we have a play to change party plays James Bond doesn't he so that's he stopped and as James Bond is running and it's all playing and you think I'll grass brilliant I don't think I think you go forget it thank you oh god sorry I wasn't pretty good tonight told you know I've been wonderful I think that's all we have time for though this evening I'm afraid so could you please remain in your seats once we leave and join me in thanking once again Sir Michael Gambon you

Channel: OxfordUnion

Views: 109,793

Rating: 4.9353538 out of 5

Keywords: Oxford, Union, Oxford Union, Oxford Union Society, debate, debating, The Oxford Union, Oxford University, Michael Gambon, interview, actor, Harry Potter, Dumbledore, Sir Michael Gambon, acting, career

Id: inKeRj8VkhY

Length: 54min 6sec (3246 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 09 2016