Harry Potter star
Sir Michael Gambon is to become a father at 66 - with a woman who is not his wife.
The veteran actor, who plays the wizard Dumbledore in the hit films, has been seeing Philippa Hart, 41, for more than five years. She is due to give birth to his baby in May. He is still married to his wife of 45 years, Anne, although they are separated. Gambon and Philippa, who are said by friends to be deeply in love, do not even live together.
A friend of the couple said: ⿿Philippa was approaching 40 at the time and was keen to have a baby - and despite his age Michael saw no reason not to. He can afford to provide for it and wants her to be happy. ⿿But he⿿s no intention of giving up his freedom. He likes to fly his plane at weekends.⿿ Gambon is best known for his role as The Singing Detective and has also starred in films including The Good Shepherd, which comes out this week, gangster hit Layer Cake and period piece Gosford Park. He married Anne Miller when he was 22, but has always been secretive about his personal life, responding to one interviewer⿿s question about her: ⿿What wife?⿿
The couple lived together in a huge country house near Gravesend in Kent where potter Anne is a much-loved local figure. He was knighted in 1998 for services to theatre and his wife became Lady Gambon. While filming Gosford Park, which was released in 2001 and starred Charles Dance and Dame Maggie Smith, Gambon brought Philippa on to the set and introduced her to co-stars as his girlfriend. When their affair was revealed in 2002 he moved out of the marital home, but rather than moving in with his lover, he bought himself a bachelor pad. He and Philippa lunch regularly with restaurant critic AA Gill, writer Nicola Formby and Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.
The friend said: ⿿They never made any attempt to hide their relationship. In London they were openly a couple, while in the country it was Sir and Lady Gambon. ⿿When it became public he moved out - but nothing else changed. He still sees his wife occasionally and they remain good friends, and he sees Philippa.⿿ Gambon already has one son, Fergus, who appears as an expert on the Antiques Roadshow. Philippa, who worked with Gambon on the film Sylvia in 2003, has recently moved into a £500,000 terraced home in Chiswick, West London, where she has been decorating a nursery and working on a film project at Pinewood Studios.
She lives there alone with her pet pug dog but neighbours say Gambon, currently working on post-production of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix at Leavesden Studios near Watford, Herts, is a frequent visitor. Asked about her relationship with the actor, Philippa said: ⿿I⿿d never discuss that with you.⿿ A spokesman for Sir Michael, who trained under Laurence Olivier, said: ⿿We⿿d never comment on that sort of thing.⿿ Last night Anne, speaking at the £4million marital home she still lives in, refused to comment on the pregnancy.
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