The saga of casting Dumbledore is a long one with countless actors considered and dismissed at various points. It stretches through this list, but we'll start at the very beginning. Patrick McGoohan is best remembered for sixties TV show The Prisoner, which remains a touchstone in mystery television, but leaves the actor in relative obscurity. However, had things gone slightly differently, he could have been much more prolific. Not only was he in the running to play James Bond in Dr. No, but he also had the opportunity to play Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. Citing health reasons, McGoohan turned down the role, leaving the door open for Richard Harris, who would play the wizard in the first two films before his death in 2002.
