Ian McKellen (known as Gandalf) could have also played Dumbledore, but he declined due to a remark. MeinMMO reveals what’s behind it.
Why did he decline? In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
, Michael Gambon took over the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore after the original actor Richard Harris passed away in 2002. However, Ian McKellen, known for his role as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings
, was actually considered as the successor for the legendary wizard. He declined, and the reason for this is a remark by Richard Harris.
Ian McKellen did not want to play Dumbledore
After Richard Harris’s death, the search for a new Dumbledore was urgent. Harris had embodied the headmaster in the first two films, and his successor had to step into big shoes.
What reasons does McKellen give? In a BBC interview, McKellen explained that he was asked whether he was interested in a role in Harry Potter. It was not explicitly stated which role it was. For him and presumably for everyone, it was clear that it had to be Dumbledore. I couldn’t take over the part from an actor whom I knew would not have supported me
, McKellen explained.
Richard Harris had called McKellen’s acting skills as well as those of his colleagues Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh technically brilliant, but passionless
. So he likely chose not to play Dumbledore out of pride or respect.
Here you can see the excerpt from the BBC interview on YouTube:
McKellen refers to Richard Harris’s comment in the BBC interview as nonsense
. He decided not to take the role, even though it had not been explicitly offered to him yet. But the suspicion was close – as already mentioned, that the inquiry was about the role as Dumbledore.
Is there more behind it? Additionally, he is said to have also mentioned according to Filmstarts that he already had difficulty living up to a single legend. And with Dumbledore, there would be two legendary roles – which would have been too much for him. But the main reason was the remark from Richard Harris.
In fact, there were even other actors considered for Dumbledore, including icons like Christopher Lee, Harry Robinson, and Sean Connery.
Finally, Michael Gambon took on the role of Dumbledore in the remaining Harry Potter films and won the hearts of many fans for his interpretation of the Hogwarts headmaster. Ian McKellen joked in the interview that he sometimes confuses Gambon with himself when he sees posters and pictures from the films. There is no question that all three actors are highly regarded for their portrayals of perhaps the most legendary wizards in film history. But did you already know that? Ian McKellen almost wasn’t Gandalf, but James Bond
