The well-respected actor was in talks to play in the Harry Potter series after the actor of the original Dumbledore died.
Sir Ian McKellen was the top choice to fill a role in the Harry Potter series following the death of original Dumbledore actor Richard Harris in 2002 – shortly before the 2nd film, The Chamber of Secrets, was released.
That of course didn’t happen. Michael Gambon replaced Harris after his death and McKellan went on to do X-Men films. But now the Magneto actor revealed why he didn’t take on the Harry Potter role, citing criticism from Harris.
In an interview with BBC’s Hardtalk, McKellan recalled being contacted by the Harry Potter producers offering him a role. “When [Harris] died – he played Dumbledore, the wizard [while] I played the real wizard [Gandalf], of course – [the producers] called me up and said would I be interested in being in the Harry Potter films, they didn’t say what part.”
“But I worked out what they were thinking. I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I know disapproved of me.”
McKellan was of course referencing the fact that Harris has criticized him in the past, calling his portrayal as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings as “technically brilliant, but passionless”
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