The character of Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings is one of the most instantly recognisable, powerful figures in cinema over the last decade or so, and Sir Ian McKellen has been brilliant in the role. McKellen was far from first-choice when Peter Jackson was looking at who could play the wizard back at the start of the century, however, with Sean Connery very much top of the list. It is rumoured that Jackson even offered him $6m for each film. The former 007 was not interested in the role though, despite its obvious financial charms, later stating, rather oddly, that he found it all a little too complex:
I read the book. I read the script. I saw the movie. I still dont understand it.
Perhaps money is no issue to the legendary Scot these days - it's actually quite refreshing to see an actor not jumping at a role just because of money - but it's still worth noting that Connery would have earned unfathomable amounts of money as Gandalf, once you throw in the rumoured 15% box office profits that he would have received. He would have been launched back into the A-list had he accepted Jackson's pleas, and there must be an element of him that wishes he'd been a part of such a phenomenal film franchise. It wasn't to be, however, and McKellen must feel like the luckiest man on Earth. We'd love to know your top 10 in the comments section. Where do you agree/disagree?
