20 Actors That Were Almost Cast In The Lord Of The Rings
13. Patrick Stewart - Gandalf
While it is now impossible to imagine anybody other than Ian McKellen playing Gandalf after his iconic work across all six entries of the Middle Earth franchise (which also scored the series' only Academy Award nomination for acting, a Best Supporting Actor nod for The Fellowship Of The Ring), he wasn't the first choice for the role. In fact, his best friend and fellow legend of Twitter, Patrick Stewart, was offered Gandalf before McKellen, but declined. Stewart revealed at the 2008 New York Star Trek Convention that he had met with Peter Jackson for The Lord Of The Rings, with the director wanting him to play Gandalf, but the actor wanted another role instead (although he didn't say which one). After reading the script, Stewart had plenty of criticisms of the story and ultimately turned down the chance to play Mithrandir, opening the door for his frequent co-star and partner in crime to create a cinematic icon.
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