After Richard Harris' death numerous actors were considered to take over Dumbledore, some more suitable than others. Hearing that Richard Attenborough lobbied for the role makes a lot of sense; he did, after all, do kindly old man greatly in Jurassic Park. But then the productions initial interest, Christopher Lee is more questionable; surely his horror history doesn't make him a great fit. One of the most interesting considerations was Ian McKellen, who had already found recent mainstream success with other big franchises, playing Magneto in X-Men and Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings. Most people assume that McKellen turned down the role because of its similarities to Gandalf (who no doubt provided original inspiration for Rowling), although there's something a little more personal at work; Harris had called McKellen a dreadful actor, meaning him taking the role would have been woefully disrespectful.
