Whenever a movie becomes a sensation, one of the questions that naturally arises is “who had the chance to come on board early and turned it down?” Whether for personal reasons, scheduling issues, or simply because they’re not “feeling it,” actors are often offered roles in a project and then refuse them, even when those parts were written with them in mind. One of the most famous of these was Sean Connery who passed up the opportunity to play Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings.”
In an interview with Empire For the 25th anniversary of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” director Peter Jackson was asked what he thought of Connery’s refusal to play the role. In response, he took a moment to imagine what that would have sounded like, then began his response with an imitation of Connery’s famous Scottish accent: “I am the bearer of a secret fire.” After a light start, it got real:
“Look, I’m just speculating, but I just can’t imagine Sean Connery being as supportive as Ian McKellen, and being as willing to do whatever we wanted as Ian, and being as tolerant as Ian. And there were tee times to consider.”
Jackson previously praised Gandalf’s English actor, saying: “You like him. He’s a twinkling-eyed old rascal.” McKellen certainly brought a magic to the role that, in many ways, made it his own.
Who else turned down roles in Lord of the Rings?
Sean Connery wasn’t the only one missing the fun of Middle Earth. There were many others actors who turned down the “Lord of the Rings” franchise. Russell Crowe dropped out of the role of Aragorn (he starred in his breakout role in “Gladiator” around the same time). Uma Thurman said she couldn’t play Éowyn because she was pregnant. Sam Neill turned down an undisclosed role because it conflicted with his schedule for “Jurassic Park III.” Adrien Brody is pretty sure he said no to an offer to play one of the hobbits (and regretted it as soon as he went to see the films in the theater).
And Gandalf? This role was given to several different actors before landing in Sir Ian McKellen’s lap. Alongside Connery, David Bowie was considered for the role, but he was too busy at the time. Patrick Stewart revealed that he was also asked to play Gandalf, but wanted to play another character, and it just didn’t work out. Christopher Plummer didn’t even remember why he said no. (At least he’s a fan.) McKellen said Anthony Hopkins also turned down the role. McKellen Gandalf fans should be grateful that things ended the way they did. There were a lot of “maybes” on the path to this clearly elitist option.
We’re getting McKellen back (we think) for The Hunt for Gollum
While there is no end to speculation about what things would have looked like in the past if others had played key roles in “The Lord of the Rings,” there is also the question of the future. Warner Bros. has officially greenlit the “The Hunt for Gollum” movie, and casting for it has been vague and, frankly, all over the place.
We know Peter Jackson is back to produce, and Andy Serkis will direct. After that, things get blurry. Some actors, like Orlando Bloom said they were approached to return. Others, like Liv Tyler said she wanted to come back.
What about Ian McKellen? Rumors have arisen from time to time that he will reprise his role as Gandalf. He even said some things himself. But in the most recent birthday interviews, the actor actually put a damper on the chatter. He didn’t say he wasn’t involved. Here’s how he put it when asked how he felt about playing Gandalf again in “The Hunt for Gollum”:
“I don’t think it’s really been decided. And you certainly can’t publish it in your magazine. Gandalf is in this movie, I don’t think it’s a secret. But there are still some things that need to be worked out.”
Okay then. As we settle into the endless wait for “The Hunt for Gollum” (Andy Serkis confirmed a release date for December 2027), fans can continue to enjoy Sean Connery-less rewatches of “The Lord of the Rings” – and hopefully we’ll also get another season of “The Rings of Power” in the meantime.
