Sir Ian McKellen was offered the role of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films after Richard Harris' passing, but this comment made him turn it down.
The Big Picture Sir Ian McKellen is one of the most recognizable and influential actors of our time. He has been a force in countless productions, earning everything from multiple Olivier Awards to a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1980. Later in that decade, McKellen came out as gay and would become a vocal and visible champion for LGBTQIA+ rights for decades to come. As a performer and public figure, he has achieved so much.
Richard Harris Originally Played Albus Dumbledore in the First Two 'Harry Potter' Movies Professor Albus Dumbledore is Harry's iconic mentor and the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series. Albus was originally played by acclaimed actor Richard Harris, who portrayed the beloved headmaster in the first two Harry Potter films: The Sorcerer's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets .
In fact, there were many more actors considered for the position of Hogwarts' mysterious and intelligent Headmaster. These included icons such as Sean Connery, Patrick McGoohan, Christopher Lee, and Harry Robinson. Among the list of potential candidates, however, one of the actors considered stands out for his interesting and unique reason for turning down the role.
He recounted that Harris had made some disparaging comments about McKellen and his fellow actors, Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh, calling them "technically brilliant, but passionless." The criticisms did not sit well with McKellen, who called the comment "nonsense." He very clearly didn't agree with Harris' judgment call on his acting chops, but didn't appear to be harboring a grudge.
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