Summary
- Casting Sean Connery as Gandalf would have been disastrous for the Lord of the Rings franchise. He lacks the subtlety and adaptability needed for an effective portrayal.
- Ian McKellen’s ability to seamlessly switch between soothing mentor and battle-hardened warrior is what made Gandalf great. Much of that range would have been lost with Connery in the role.
- Anthony Hopkins could have potentially worked as Gandalf. While his portrayal would have been different, his acting range would have allowed for the nuanced and varied performance that the role required.
Ian McKellen’s iconic portrayal of Gandalf was a highlight of the Lord of the Rings movies, but the role almost went to another legend of stage and screen, and it could have had disastrous consequences. Gandalf is one of the most important figures in the fantasy trilogy, both from a power perspective and as a guiding force to other characters. Over the course of the three movies, he even transforms from the pipe-smoking, firework-shooting Gandalf the Grey to the all-powerful, all-knowing Gandalf the White, who leads the defense of Minas Tirith. Getting Gandalf right was a key part of the trilogy’s massive success.
McKellen’s performance as Gandalf is one of the most significant cases of an actor being perfectly matched to a role, but as it turns out, McKellen was not the first choice. In an interview with Variety, McKellen mentions a couple of other actors who were in consideration for the prestigious role at different times. Perhaps the most significant name that McKellen brought up was Sean Connery, and had Connery been cast it would have changed the tone of the entire trilogy.
Sean Connery As Gandalf Would’ve Been A LOTR Disaster
Sean Connery is a true icon and a gifted actor, but casting him as Gandalf could have spelled disaster for the Lord of the Rings franchise. The Academy Award-winning Scottish actor most known for originating the on-screen role of James Bond certainly had the acting chops to measure up to the drama of the fantasy trilogy, but he would have lacked the subtlety and adaptability that was necessary for an effective portrayal of Gandalf. Over the course of his career, Connery was the leading man more often than not, and his undeniable star swagger and occasional hamminess would not have been a good fit for Gandalf.
Some of the best Gandalf scenes in the trilogy involve an extremely soft touch, which Connery may not have been able to pull off. For example, it’s extremely difficult to imagine Sean Connery gently calming a tearful and terrified Pippin as they await their doom in the midst of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Ian McKellen’s ability to switch seamlessly between soothing mentor and battle-hardened warrior is what made Gandalf such a great character, and much of that range might have been lost with Connery in his place — to the detriment of the trilogy.
Another Lord Of The Rings Gandalf Candidate Could Have Actually Worked
The other icon that Ian McKellen mentioned in the Variety interview was Anthony Hopkins, who might have actually worked out. Hopkins’s resume aligns with McKellen’s as far as diversity of roles is concerned, and while his portrayal of Gandalf would have been drastically different from McKellen’s, that doesn’t necessarily mean it wouldn’t have worked. Hopkins may not have brought the same level of softness that marked McKellen’s version of the character, but his acting range would have allowed for the level of nuanced and varied performance that the role required.
Hopkins’s Gandalf would have likely had more edge to him, which could have been an interesting spin on the character. Some of the most endearing scenes of the trilogy might have been lost or downsized, but Hopkins could have made Gandalf a much more intimidating figure, which would make sense given his actual power level. For example, Hopkins’s Gandalf casting Saruman out of King Theoden in the Great Hall of Edoras would have been highly entertaining (not that McKellen’s version wasn’t). Hopkins could have brought a very different but perhaps equally impressive version of Gandalf to life in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings.