Michael Gambon

Michael John Gambon was born in the Cabra suburb of Dublin on 19 October 1940. His mother, Mary (née Hoare), was a seamstress, while his father, Edward Gambon, was an engineering operative during World War II. His father decided to seek work in the rebuilding of London, and moved the family to Mornington Crescent in London's Camden borough when Gambon was six. His father arranged for him to be registered as a British subject, a decision that would later allow him to receive a substantive (rather than honorary) knighthood. Brought up as a strict Roman Catholic, Gambon attended St Aloysius Boys' School in Somers Town and served at the altar. He went on from there to St Aloysius' College in Highgate, whose former pupils include the actor Peter Sellers. The family later moved to North End, Kent, where he attended Crayford Secondary School but left with no qualifications at the age of 15. After leaving school, at the age of 16 Gambon then gained an apprenticeship as a toolmaker with Vickers-Armstrongs. By the time he was 21, he was a qualified engineering technician and kept the job for a further year. He acquired a lifelong passion for collecting antique guns, clocks, watches and classic cars.