3. Ian McKellen Gandalf the Grey in The Lord of the Rings The Hobbit
There were multiple factors that led to the huge success that was The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, but one of the most important was the casting. Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin (often underrated in these films in my opinion) all putting in stellar performances, but Ian Mckellens portrayal of the Grey Wizard was my personal highlight of the trilogy. In the second and third films he was playing Gandalf the White while he still kicked a lot of orc butt, he was more serious and mission-driven than when he was playing the Grey wizard, smoking pipe weed with the hobbits. Personally, I loved his return as Gandalf the Grey in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and cannot wait to see him in the next two films.