In 2001 he played what he described as “a physically repulsive’’ Davies in Patrick Marber's revival of Pinter's "The Caretaker", but he found the rehearsal period an unhappy experience, and felt that he had let down the author. A year later, playing opposite Daniel Craig, he portrayed the father of a series of cloned sons in Caryl Churchill's "A Number" at the Royal Court, notable for a recumbent moment when he smoked a cigarette, the brightly lit spiral of smoke rising against a black backdrop, an effect which he dreamed up during rehearsals.
In 2004 he finally achieved a life-long ambition to play Sir John Falstaff, in Nicholas Hytner's National Theatre production of "Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2", co-starring with Matthew Macfadyen as Prince Hal.
He made his movie debut in the Laurence Olivier "Othello" in 1965. He then played romantic leads, notably in the early 1970s BBC television series, "The Borderers", in which he was swashbuckling Gavin Ker. As a result, Gambon was asked by James Bond producer Cubby Broccoli to audition for the role in 1970, to replace George Lazenby. His craggy looks soon made him into a character actor, although he won critical acclaim as Galileo in John Dexter's production of "The Life of Galileo" by Brecht at the National Theatre in 1980. But it was not until Dennis Potter's "The Singing Detective" (1986) that he became a household name. After this success, for which he won a BAFTA, his work includes movies such as "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" which also starred Helen Mirren.
In 1992 he played a psychotic general in the Barry Levinson movie "Toys" and he also starred as Georges Simenon's detective Inspector Jules Maigret in an ITV adaptation of Simenon's series of books. He starred as Fyodor Dostoevsky in the Hungarian director Károly Makk's movie "The Gambler" (1997) about the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky's novella "The Gambler".
In recent years, movies such as "Dancing at Lughnasa" (1998) and "Plunkett & Macleane" (1998), as well as television appearances in series such as "Wives and Daughters" (1999) (for which he won another BAFTA), a made-for-TV adaptation of Samuel Beckett's "Endgame" (2001) and "Perfect Strangers" (2001) have revealed a talent for comedy. In 2004, he appeared in five movies, including Wes Anderson's quirky comedy "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou"; the British gangster flick "Layer Cake"; theatrical drama "Being Julia"; and CGI action fantasy "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow".
Perhaps his most significant role in 2004, however, was Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts' headmaster in the third installment of J. K. Rowling's franchise, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", taking over from fellow Irish actor Richard Harris, who had died of Hodgkins disease. (Harris had also played Maigret on television four years before Gambon took that role.) Gambon reprised the role of Albus Dumbledore in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", which was released in November 2005 in the UK and U.S. He returned to the role again in the fifth movie, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", which was released in 2007. He will once again return to portray Dumbledore in movie the sixth "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". Gambon admits not having read the "Harry Potter" novels and says that this is because he does not want to be upset by an extremely large change or death in the books. Similarly, he has also stated in an interview that, when playing Dumbledore, "I don't have to play anyone really. I just stick on a beard and play me, so it's no great feat. I never ease into a role – every part I play is just a variant of my own personality. I’m not really a character actor at all..."
In an Ironic twist, Gambon also played a British spy in "The Good Shepherd" (2006). His codename was "The headmaster".
Most recently, he was Joe in Beckett's "Eh Joe", giving two performances a night at the Duke of York's Theatre in London. He currently does the voice over to the new Guinness ads with the penguins. In 2007 he played major roles in Stephen Poliakoff's "Joe's Palace", and the five-part adaptation of Mrs Gaskell's "Cranford" novels, both for BBC TV.
Gambon married Anne Miller when he was 22, but has always been secretive about his personal life. The couple live together in a country house in Kent. Gambon was invested by Prince Charles as a Knight Bachelor on 17 July 1998 for services to drama (Queen Elizabeth II's approval for the award was notified in the 1998 New Year Honours List) and his wife thus became Lady Gambon. The couple have a son, Fergus, who appears as an expert on the BBC's "Antiques Roadshow".
Gambon is a qualified amateur pilot, and his love of cars led to his appearance on the BBC's "Top Gear" programme. Gambon raced the Suzuki Liana and was driving so aggressively that it was launched into the air on the last corner of his timed lap. The final corner of the Dunsfold Park track has been named "Gambon" in his honour. He reappeared on the programme on the 4 June 2006, and set a time in the Chevrolet Lacetti of 1:50.3, a significant improvement on his previous time of 1:55. He clipped his namesake corner the second time, and when asked why by Jeremy Clarkson, replied that 'I dunno - I just do not like it'.
In February 2015 Gambon spoke for the first time of the "frightening memory loss" that had forced him to retire from the stage after 50 years. He said he has taken the "heartbreaking" decision to stop after finding he could no longer remember his lines.
Mercosur
Mercosur or Mercosul (, , Guarani: "Ñemby Ñemuha", ) is a Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It was founded in 1991. Its purpose is to improve free trade and the easy movement of goods, people, and currency.
The following countries are full members, in the process of becoming full members, associate members or observers.
Leti, Punjab
Leti is a village and Union Council, an administrative subdivision, of Chakwal District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is located at 32°55'0N 72°4'0E and is part of Talagang Tehsil.
C. Everett Koop
Charles Everett Koop (October 14, 1916 – February 25, 2013) was an American physician who became well known as a pediatric surgeon at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He was an early name in today's pediatric surgery. He then served as the Surgeon General of the United States and as vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps from 1982 to 1989, under President Ronald Reagan.
He was thought of as the first "celebrity Surgeon General", because he is the first Surgeon General to receive an Emmy Award, and remains the only Surgeon General to have done so. Koop was also called Chick Koop by some of his friends.
Today Koop is well known for four parts of his work:
These four views, along with Koop's personality and use of the media, made the office of Surgeon General more well known than it was before. He is the first Surgeon General to be the subject of a well known song – "Promiscuous", by Frank Zappa. Koop was unusual in his style, and well known for his mustache-less beard and colorful bow ties.
Koop was born on October 14, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied at Dartmouth College, at Cornell Medical College, and at the University of Pennsylvania. He was married to Betty Koop from 1938 until her death in 2007. Then he was married to Cora Hogue Koop from 2010 until his death in 2013. He had four children.
Koop died on February 25, 2013 from unknown causes. During the past months, Koop had been ill. He suffered renal failure the past week in his home in Hanover, New Hampshire. He was 96 years old.
White bass
The white bass or sand bass ("Morone chrysops") is a freshwater fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae. It is the state fish of Oklahoma.
Nagasaki Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging the western half of the old provinces of Hizen Province with the islands of Tsushima Province and Iki Province.