Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart shared one of the longest and most enduring friendships in Hollywood. So perhaps it’s only fitting that Stewart’s decision to turn down an iconic fantasy movie role paved the way for McKellen to land it instead.
Last Wednesday, Stewart died at his Los Angeles home at the age of 86 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Stewart’s wife of 13 years, Sunny Ozell, was at his side when he passed away.
McKellen penned an emotional tribute to Stewart on his Instagram page, calling his longtime friend “the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation.” As noted by People, the stars of the X-Men film franchise had a friendship dating back to the ’70s, having met at England’s iconic Royal Shakespeare Company.
There’s another fascinating story about the legendary McKellen-Stewart friendship: The former’s most celebrated and iconic movie role was actually turned down by Stewart himself.
Peter Jackson signed on to direct the fantasy film, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel. McKellen was selected to play the heroic wizard, Gandalf the Grey.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film is about as follows: “The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search for it.
“But fate has placed it in the hands of a young Hobbit named Frodo Baggins, who inherits the Ring and steps into legend. A daunting task lies ahead for Frodo when he becomes the Ring-bearer – to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged.”
Why Patrick Stewart Turned Down the Role of Gandalf the Grey
(Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage via Getty Images)
During a March 2008 Star Trek convention in New Jersey, Patrick Stewart revealed that he spoke to Jackson about the role of Gandalf (via TrekMovie.com) for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Stewart revealed that he was seeking another role, though he wouldn’t disclose which one. Additionally, Stewart wasn’t sold on the script. His decision opened the door for McKellen to get the role instead.
Interestingly, legendary James Bond actor Sean Connery was also eyed for the role of Gandalf. In a 2020 interview with The Independent, Lord of the Rings movie trilogy executive producer Mark Ordesky explained that Connery read the script and simply “didn’t get it.”
Related: Patrick Stewart Was 47 When He Landed the Sci-Fi Role That Almost Went to Someone Else
