If you were making a league table of famous fictional wizards, Dumbledore and Gandalf would probably be pretty big contenders for the top spot.
So why, after actor Richard Harris passed away in 2002 after filming the first two Harry Potter films, was Ian McKellen (a.k.a. Gandalf) not considered to replace him?
Well, it turns out he was.
During a recent interview on the BBC's HARDTalk show, McKellen explained that he was actually contacted about appearing in the franchise — but he said no.
While talking about McKellen's critics, interviewer Stephen Sackur recited a quote from Richard Harris about McKellen and some other actors. Apparently Harris had previously described him as "technically brilliant but passionless." Read more...
More about Uk, Harry Potter, Dumbledore, Ian Mckellen, and Entertainmentvia Zero Tech Blog