10 Actors Who Rightly Turned Down Iconic Roles
3. Sean Connery - Gandalf (The Lord Of The Rings)
Sean Connery turning down the role of Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings was definitely right for audiences, as it meant we got to enjoy the brilliant performance of Sir Ian McKellen. Surprisingly, Connery himself still feels it was the right decision too, even after it cost him $450 million dollars.
‘I read the book, I read the script, I saw the film. I still don’t understand it. Ian McKellen, I believe, is marvellous in it’, Connery said of the casting. Very gracious, considering the bumper pay day he missed out on.
How exactly was he offered so much though? Well, as well as a large (but fairly standard for an actor of his standing) salary of $6 million per movie, Connery was further enticed by Peter Jackson offering him a whopping 15% of the trilogy’s gross.
With huge ticket sales, that 15% would’ve meant an eye watering amount of cash in Connery’s pocket.
Of course, you could make the argument that with Connery tagged in for McKellen, The Lord Of The Rings wouldn’t have grossed as much. Still, good luck telling Sean Connery the movie would’ve done worse with him aboard.