The 79-year-old six-time Emmy winner becomes the fourth actor to play Dumbledore, following Michael Gambon, who took over after Richard Harris's death. Jude Law also portrayed a young Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts films. John will also be the first non-Irish/British actor in the role but has experience with such characters, winning an Emmy for playing Winston Churchill in @netflix's The Crown. He confirmed last night that taking on Dumbledore was a “not easy decision” and predicts it will "define the last chapter of my life." 📲 Follow for popular entertainment content and more.