Sean Connery, Patrick Stewart, and Christopher Plummer were all offered the role of Middle-Earth protector Gandalf. When they turned it down, Sam Neill was considered before Ian McKellen accepted the role he was born to play.

Who else auditioned for Gandalf?

Apparently in various stages of development, Paul Scofield, Patrick McGoohan, Sean Connery, Patrick Stewart, Christopher Plummer, Nigel Hawthorne, Tom Baker, and Christopher Lee were considered for Gandalf.

Who was originally offered the role of Gandalf?

The Big Picture

According to Ian McKellen, Anthony Hopkins and Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. David Bowie, Christopher Plummer, and Patrick Stewart were also considered for the role.

Who was originally going to be Gandalf?

Ian McKellen portrayed Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings film series (2001–2003), directed by Peter Jackson, after Sean Connery and Patrick Stewart both turned down the role.

Who turned down being Gandalf?

In this hilarious guest appearance, Christopher Plummer reveals to Conan O’Brien that he turned down an iconic role from The Lord of the Rings. He also discusses his love of acting... and alcohol! If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

7 Oscar Winners Who Were Almost in Lord of the Rings | Casting Calls

Why did Sean Connery refuse to play Gandalf?

Ultimately, he turned down the project because the story didn't resonate with him. Years after the critical and financial success of the series, Connery said he decided not to play the wizard because he "just didn't get it," even after reading both the book and the script.

Who turned down the role of Aragorn?

Summary. Daniel Day-Lewis was director Peter Jackson's first choice for Aragorn, but he turned down the role due to his aversion to big-budget franchises. Russell Crowe was also considered for the role, but after a phone call with Jackson, it became clear that the director had other stars in mind.

Who else auditioned for Aragorn?

Who auditioned for Legolas?

He first auditioned for the role of Faramir but the director, Peter Jackson, cast him as Legolas instead.

Who was closest to Gandalf?

To be honest Galadriel and Gandalf tend to always speak tenderly to each other. Aragorn meanwhile is mentioned as a friend of gandalf in the books, and they spend months or years hunting gollum together.

What actor turned down Lord of the Rings?

Sean Connery's worst decision: He turned down a role in Lord of the Rings and lost 400 million dollars | Marca.

Who auditioned for Bilbo Baggins?

Who is Gandalf modeled after?

The figure of Gandalf is based on the Norse deity Odin in his incarnation as "The Wanderer", an old man with one eye, a long white beard, a wide brimmed hat, and a staff. Tolkien wrote in a 1946 letter that he thought of Gandalf as an "Odinic wanderer".

Who was supposed to play Aragorn first?

Irish actor Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Damned, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) was originally cast as Aragorn and even made it a few weeks into production.

Who was originally cast as Éowyn?

In 1999, Otto was cast as Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, after Uma Thurman turned down the role. Director Peter Jackson cast her immediately after viewing the audition video she had filmed in Australia.

Who was supposed to play Galadriel?

Liv Tyler, who played Arwen in the films, was considered for the role of Galadriel but ultimately was not cast in that role.It is also worth noting that Cate Blanchett had previously worked with director Peter Jackson on the film "Heavenly Creatures," which helped establish a good working relationship between the two.

Who was the first choice to play Gandalf?

“I certainly wasn't the first choice for Gandalf. [Anthony] Hopkins turned it down. Sean Connery certainly did. They're all coming out of the woodwork now, and I hope they feel silly.”

Who else auditioned for Elf?

David Berenbaum initially wrote the script in 1993, with Chris Farley and Jim Carrey being early candidates to play Buddy. Berenbaum's screenplay underwent uncredited rewrites by Scot Armstrong, Chris Henchy, and the writing team of Adam McKay and Will Ferrell.

Who else auditioned for Arwen?

The role of Arwen, originally played by Liv Tyler, was initially offered to Uma Thurman. However, the actress was pregnant with her then-husband Ethan Hawke's child. In an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Thurman revealed that she considered this decision her biggest career mistake.

Who else auditioned for Éowyn?

Action heroine and frequent Tarantino collaborator Uma Thurman was the first choice for Éowyn. However, she had to decline. She had just had her first child -- actress Maya Hawke -- and chose to stay home with her rather than fly out to New Zealand to film.

Who auditioned for Elrond?

5 David Bowie

His most iconic role was as Jareth the Goblin King in the 1986 fantasy The Labyrinth. Due to his prior experience in the fantasy genre, he auditioned for the role of Elrond, an Elven ruler. Although, Bowie was passed over for the part, and Australian actor Hugo Weaving appeared in the films instead.

Who else could have played Gandalf?

Patrick Stewart and Christopher Plummer were all in the running to play Gandalf. But in the end, McKellen got the part, playing Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King. Then he came back to play Gandalf again in the Hobbit trilogy.

Who is the richest actor in Lord of the Rings?

Who was the original Aragorn actor fired?

Townsend was hired to play the part of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, but was replaced by Viggo Mortensen the day before principal photography began. According to Townsend: I was there rehearsing and training for two months, then was fired the day before filming began.

Who turned down the role of Éowyn?

Uma Thurman turned down the role of Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings films because she had just had her first child and didn't want to move to New Zealand for several years of filming.