EXCLUSIVE: How Iconic 'Harry Potter' Actor Recruited 'Earwig' Assistant to Secretly Feed Him Lines on Set As His Life Ebbed Away
Michael Gambon needed his lines fed to him as his career came to a close.
Jan. 1 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal Michael Gambon secretly recruited an assistant to whisper his lines through an earpiece as his memory failed, according to a new account by the woman who spent a decade hiding off camera to keep one of Britain's greatest actors working until the end of his life.
The arrangement, revealed by Milly Ellis, shows how Gambon, then in his seventies, quietly adapted as his recall deteriorated, even while starring in major television dramas and films.
The Secret 'Earwig' Arrangement
Milly Ellis revealed she whispered Michael Gambon’s lines through an earpiece on set.
Ellis, 69, says she was brought in as an "earwig" in 2010, feeding him lines moments before he needed them, while officially posing as his assistant so cast and crew would not know.
Gambon, who died in September 2023 aged 82 after contracting pneumonia following a bout of flu, had already enjoyed a career spanning more than five decades on stage and screen.
By the time Ellis joined him on David Hare's Page Eight for the BBC, his fear of forgetting lines was acute. She said, "He was clearly scared," describing how he admitted "the old brain" was no longer working.
The system continued for nine years, from British television to international locations. On the Sky drama Fortitude, filmed in Iceland, Ellis says the reality became harder to conceal.
"The longest we were away was on Fortitude in Iceland," she said. "And in a very small crew in a very small place, I was revealed." When the earpiece connection failed, Gambon would panic, calling out for her help as the words vanished.
Gambon Had 'Extraordinary Precision'
Gambon hid memory struggles while filming major TV dramas.
Ellis recalls Gambon as playful, mischievous, and occasionally insecure. She describes him as a towering figure who delighted in physical comedy and practical jokes, even as he depended on reassurance between takes.
Ellis added he needed constant encouragement; his performances were landing as intended. Her new biography, The Great Gambon, collects stories from decades of work, including his time as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films.
On the set of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, she recounts how he planted a fart cushion in Daniel Radcliffe's sleeping bag.
"He thought that was outrageously funny," she said, recalling Radcliffe's embarrassment over the gag when it was let off in front of one of his crushes.
Ellis adds Gambon's technical skill never left him. Despite memory loss, he retained what she called "extraordinary precision" in finding human detail.
A 'Painful' Retirement
Ellis reassured him between takes when panic set in.
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She compares him to a "pearl diver" who could plunge into a character and surface with something rare.
Directors and sound teams were aware of the earwig arrangement, she says, but largely kept silent.
Theatre eventually became impossible as the acting veteran aged. During rehearsals for Ronald Harwood's The Dresser in 2015, even an earpiece could not overcome his fear.
After two rehearsals, Gambon finally withdrew from showbiz and soon announced his retirement from the stage. Ellis says the decision was painful but necessary, as continuing was making him ill.
Their final collaboration was the 2019 film Judy. By then, she says, both knew the end of his career was close.
Gambon filmed 'Judy' knowing his career was nearing its end.
Gambon died quietly in hospital, surrounded by family. Ellis says helping him stay active for as long as he did was worth it, even as his memory ebbed away.
Gambon was one of Britain's most formidable actors, renowned for his command of stage and screen over five decades.
Born in Dublin in 1940 and raised in London, he left school at 15 before joining Laurence Olivier's National Theatre, where his work in Shakespeare and contemporary drama earned him legendary status.
He won multiple Olivier and BAFTA awards and became known for roles in The Singing Detective, Gosford Park, and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover.
But to a global younger audience, he will always be Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films.
