Ian McKellen revealed in an interview that he was not the first choice for his major role as Gandalf in the “The Lord of the Rings” films. Two other actors were offered the chance to play the powerful wizard before him.
As Sir Ian McKellen revealed in an interview with Variety on September 7, 2023, he was not the first choice for his iconic role as the wise wizard in the “The Lord of the Rings” films.
We could have seen two other major Hollywood stars as Gandalf instead of him – but both declined the offer.
Here you can see a German trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:
“Just didn’t feel it”
“I don’t think you are ever the first choice,” said Sir Ian McKellen in the interview. He then elaborated on how two other actors had been offered the role of Gandalf before he was approached.
Anthony Hopkins, known for his role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, was one of the candidates who were contacted before him. The reason why the actor declined the role in The Lord of the Rings is not known.
But James Bond actor Sean Connery could also have become Gandalf. However, he also turned it down. As Mark Ordensky, the executive of New Line Cinema explained, he just felt no connection to the role:
“We made Connery an offer, but he declined. We only got a response years later, but apparently, he read the material and just didn’t feel it.” (via independent.co.uk)
Sir Ian McKellen concluded on the subject in the interview simply: “Tony Hopkins turned it down. Sean Connery definitely did as well. Now they are all coming out of the woodwork, and I hope they feel stupid.”
You can read more about Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings here with our colleagues at Moviepilot: From beloved Lord of the Rings favorite: 5 reasons why Gandalf is a bad person
As Collider reported, there were other well-known actors considered for the major “The Lord of the Rings” role.
For instance, singer David Bowie or Christopher Plummer (Knives Out) were also in the running. Additionally, Sam Neill, who played Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, was also in consideration.
But a good friend and colleague of Sir Ian McKellen, Star Trek captain Sir Patrick Stewart, also had a chance to become Gandalf.
He accepted his major role in a well-known sci-fi franchise for a specific reason: Captain Picard admits: He only acted in Star Trek because he thought it was going to be a terrible flop
