Somewhere in his in use schedule of play titularShakespeareanroles , Sir Ian McKellen has also made time to act in dozens of Hollywood blockbusters , include a couple of the biggest franchises ever to pip our screen — namely , The Lord of the RingsandX - Men .
For many fans , it ’s almost impossible to follow him portray Gandalf in Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy(and more latterly , The Hobbittrilogy ) without thinking of another twinkling - eyed , menstruate - overcharge wizard : Harry Potter ’s Albus Dumbledore , of course .
Perhaps because of the undeniable similarities between the two characters , hearsay circulate for years that McKellen had twist down the role of Dumbledore . In 2017 , during anappearanceon BBC’sHARDtalkwith Stephen Sackur , McKellen explained how it go down . After Richard Harris , who portrayed Dumbledore in the first two films , give-up the ghost away , McKellen pick up a earphone call asking if he ’d be interested in working on Harry Potter . Though the producers never really told McKellen which part they had in idea , McKellen parachute to the conclusion that it was Dumbledore , and the regorge conversation went no further . McKellen explained that Harris had once criticise him — along with fellow actors Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh — for being technically brilliant , yet passionless , and McKellen did n’t feel it was right to take over a role from an actor who did n’t O.K. of his piece of work .
But CinemaBlendreportsthat McKellen has now complicated his verification of the rumors in a novel audience . While promotingThe Good Liarwith Centennial State - superstar Helen Mirren , the actorsplayeda rousing round of drinks of “ Two accuracy and a Lie ” for BuzzFeed , during which McKellen named three possible Trygve Lie : “ The first film I ever made was never released , ” “ I turned down the persona of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies , ” and “ Kate Beckinsale once proposed marriage to me . ”
Mirren think that the Dumbledore remark was the Trygve Lie , and McKellen confirmed that she was correct . Though it might seem like McKellen is contradicting what he said back in 2017 , he ’s really just clarifying it : He really never did turn down the part of Dumbledore , because he was never actually offered it . or else , he had jolly much keep out down the possibility of appear in the Harry Pottermoviesat all .
The ship may have sail on a McKellen visual aspect in a Harry Potter film , but we ’re still book out promise for a Gandalf reprisal in the upcomingThe Lord of the Ringstelevision series .
For some behind - the - scenes mystery fromThe Good Liar , try what the stars had to say at the London red carpet premierehere .
[ h / tCinemaBlend ]
