When I should have been meeting people I'd be sitting in the corner waiting for it to be over.". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed. Read Next: Gabrielle Union Signs With Range Media Partners, Trump and First Lady Test Positive for Coronavirus, Cuba Gooding Jr. “When they called me up and said would I be interested in being in the ‘Harry Potter’ films, they didn’t say in what part,” McKellen said. “I worked out what they were thinking, and I couldn’t … I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I’d known didn’t approve of me.”. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. Gambon ultimately portrayed Dumbledore in the next six “Harry Potter” movies. “I played the real wizard.”, “But when they called me up and said would I be interested in being in the Harry Potter films—they didn’t say what part—I worked out what they were thinking, and I couldn’t. Now It Can Be Yours. As it happens, the resemblance between Gambon’s Dumbledore and McKellen’s Gandalf was so strong that the dummy Gandalf used in The Hobbit was named after Gambon. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Other potential Potter actors include Hugh Grant, who was offered the role of Gilderoy Lockhart, and Eddie Redmayne, who auditioned for the part of Tom Riddle. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Team Business Standard, Salman Khan works towards 'being flexible', 'Harry Potter' actor Evanna Lynch says Jude Law is perfect as Dumbledore, Jude Law wasn't nervous while playing Dumbledore, Dumbledore is clearly gay in 'Crimes of Grindelwald, says David Yates, Harry Potter classic moments to be released as limited edition fine art prints, Jude Law got morale boost after JK Rowling approved his Dumbledore, Access Exclusive content - articles, features & opinion pieces, Weekly Industry/Genre specific newsletters - Choose multiple industries/genres, Access to 17 plus years of content archives, Set Stock price alerts for your portfolio and watch list and get them delivered to your e-mail box, End of day news alerts on 5 companies (via email). Everything you need to know about and expect during, the most important election of our lifetimes, Hampton Bay Hewitt Tabletop Firepit Square. McKellen was evidently approached to take over as Albus Dumbledore in “Harry Potter” when original star Richard Harris died in 2002. Ian McKellen was offered the role of Albus Dumbledore, but turned it down Sir Ian McKellen, one of Britain's finest, is known for playing a pretty famous wizard — … When host Stephen Sackur asked, “You mean you could have been Dumbledore?” McKellen responded, “Well sometimes, sometimes when I see the posters of [Harris’ eventual replacement] Mike Gambon, the actor who gloriously plays Dumbledore, I think sometimes it is me.”. Los Angeles  I couldn’t take over the part from an actor I’d known didn’t approve of me.”. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Sure Harris got the whimsy playful part right, but Gambon got the right mix when it came to later parts where he was more of an ass to Harry, when things got harder and more dangerous. Digital Editor. Entertainment Culture, IANS  |  Unfortunately for Warner Bros., Ian McKellen refused to take up the Dumbledore mantle. "Although half of them think that I'm Dumbledore! Unfortunately for Warner Bros., Ian McKellen refused to take up the Dumbledore mantle. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. “You mean you could’ve been Dumbledore?” Sackur asked. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. Enjoy Reading! © Copyright 2020 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. RedBird Grabs Andy Gordon From Goldman Sachs To Open L.A. Office, Winter Weather Will Never Be a Problem With These 10 Snow Boots. Business Standard is happy to inform you of the launch of "Business Standard Premium Services". “Well, sometimes, when I see the posters of Mike Gambon, the actor who gloriously plays Dumbledore, I think sometimes it is me,” McKellen replied with a laugh. Kindly visit the Manage my subscription page to discover the benefits of this programme. I said to Michael Gambon, 'Do you ever get mistaken for me? It is almost weirder that Warner Bros. offered the role to the man who had just played one of fiction’s most famous old wizards in another massively popular film series. Insider has listed 15 actors who came close to starring in the "Harry Potter" movies as key characters, including Ian McKellen and Peter O'Toole as Dumbledore alternatives.