Ian McKellen was almost a part of theHarry Potteruniverse after Richard Harris passed away, but he refused the role of Dumbledore for one specific reason. One of the secret weapons of theHarry Potteruniverse is the castingof some of the greatest actors Britain has to offer in key parts. From Maggie Smith to Alan Rickman to Gary Oldman, theHarry Potteruniverse of movies is stuffed with Emmy, Oscar, and Golden Globe-winning actors. It’s not just small parts either, some of J. K. Rowling’s most critical characters inHarry Potterare played by legendary performers.
Of course, there are a few notable exceptions who have never appeared in aHarry Pottermovie, with Ian McKellen perhaps being the most surprising.Ian McKellen has been acting in moviessince the 1960s and, since then, he’s appeared in not one, but two, fantasy franchise series in critical roles; as Magneto in the X-Men films and as Gandalf in Peter Jackson’sLord of the Rings. If anyone would fit into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it would be Ian McKellen. Apparently,he was offered the part of Dumbledore, but he ended up turning it down.
Richard Harris Played Dumbledore For The First Two Harry Potter Movies
Harris Embodied The Grandfatherly Qualities Of Dumbledore
Richard Harris played Albus Dumbledore inHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s StoneandHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secretsbefore passing away in October 2002 at the age of 72. Harris famously accepted the role of Dumbledore after turning it down three times (viaTheGuardian). It was only when his 11-year-old granddaughter said she would never speak to him again if he refused that he finally took the role. Even after accepting the role, Harris had qualms (viaTheLeakyCauldron),
“Because, you see, I don’t just want to be remembered for being in those bloody films, and I’m afraid that’s what going to happen to me.”
However he may have felt about the movies,Harris' role as Dumbledore was a key part in making those first two movies work so well. He perfectly captures the grandfatherly, wizened, goofy aspects of the character that Rowling describes in her books. Harris' Dumbledore may speak slowly, but his wit is as sharp as anyone’s.
“I Hope They Feel Silly”: Ian McKellen Recalls Big Stars Who Passed On Lord Of The Rings Role
Ian McKellen recalls other notable actors who passed on the role of Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s acclaimed The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Harris was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in August 2022 and died only a few months later (viaSMH). A sad day for the acting world, this also presented a tricky problem for theHarry Potterfranchise, in which Dumbledore would only become a more important character. The director of the first twoHarry Pottermovies,Christopher Columbus, said he promised Harris not to recast Dumbledore, confident in the late actor’s recovery(viaTHR). When Harris did end up passing away, producers had to move quickly.
Ian McKellen Refused To Be The Dumbledore Replacement After Richard Harris' Disparaging Comments
Harris Considered McKellen A Talented But Passionless Actor
Ian McKellen was one of the many actors approached to play Dumbledore (viaBBC). McKellen refused the role, however, because of comments Harris had previously made about him, and fellow actors Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh. McKellen said Harris had said of him and his cohort,
“…technically brilliant, but passionless.”
McKellen had an equally British response, calling the comment,
“Nonsense.”
But it was enough to convince McKellen not to take the role. He said,
“I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I’d known didn’t approve of me.”
Ever the dignified professional,McKellen would not disregard the wishes of a contemporary, critical as they may be.
Michael Gambon Was The Perfect Dumbledore Replacement In Harry Potter
Gambon Reflects The Fiercer Qualities Of Dumbledore In Later Harry Potter Books
So, instead of McKellen,audiences got Michael Gambon, and that may have been the correct choice all along. While Harris was perfect for the loopy, old-man qualities of Dumbledore,Gambon portrays the fierceness and power of the only wizard He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named ever feared. Any overly aggressiveGoblet of Firemoments are well-worth scenes like him casually strutting up to Voldemort a movie later. The darkeningHarry Potterseries needed a darker Albus Dumbledore, and Michael Gambon was able to provide that aspect over Richard Harris.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
