Sir Michael Gambon Retires from Theater

Sir Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) has announced his retirement from theater. Sir Gambon told The Sunday Times Magazine that he decided it was time for retirement when he could no longer recall his lines, saying “it breaks my heart”. He has been pursuing tests for Alzheimer’s disease, but a second opinion of his medical condition proved negative testing, and memory loss due to the natural process of aging. The Independent reports:

The 74-year-old actor, who played Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film franchise, became so worried by his memory loss that he began performing with an earpiece linking him to a stage prompt.

He realised his time in front of a live audience was up, he continued, after an audition for a new West End play, during which a girl in the wings read his lines for him.

“It’s a horrible thing to admit but I can’t do it. It breaks my heart,” Sir Michael told The Sunday Times Magazine.

“You know, the sort of part where he comes on and says a few words,” he said.

“A role that’s played for laughs – like when the phone goes, he doesn’t know where it is.”

He previously spoke of undergoing tests for Alzheimer’s disease. However, after a second opinion produced negative results, it became apparent is problem was down to the natural process of aging.

However, he still has some time left on the small screen. Sir Michael will next appear in Scandinavian drama Fortitude at the end of February.

If any of our sources are behind a paywall, here is a BBC version of this story.