Imagine this: Sean Connery, the iconic James Bond, as the wise and powerful wizard Gandalf in LOTR. Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, it could have happened! Back in the late 90s, when Peter Jackson was gearing up to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to the big screen, he had a huge decision to make: who would play Gandalf, the mystical guide of the Fellowship? Jackson thought of none other than Sean Connery, who was already a global superstar from his days as James Bond. They saw him as a perfect fit for the role, given his commanding presence and depth as an actor.
New Line Cinema executive Mark Ordesky explained in an interview with Independant: “We did make an offer to Connery but he said no. We never got an answer until years later, but apparently he read the material and just didn’t get it.”
“I read the book. I read the script. I saw the movie. I still don’t understand it.”
To get Connery on board, they offered him a staggering $30 million—a salary that would have made him one of the highest-paid actors of the time. However, in a surprising twist, Connery turned down the role. Why? Well, according to Connery, he just didn’t understand the story.
He admitted that after reading the book, the script, and even watching the movie, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the complex narrative and characters. As he famously put it, “I read the book. I read the script. I saw the movie. I still don’t understand it.”
So, while it’s easy to imagine Connery bringing a certain gravitas and elegance to the role of Gandalf, it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, Ian McKellen was cast, and his portrayal of the wise wizard became nothing short of legendary. McKellen’s performance is now considered one of the greatest in cinematic history, blending wisdom, power, and a deep emotional core that audiences continue to cherish.
Also, Read – All Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit Movies Ranked
It’s a classic “what if” moment in film history—what if Connery had accepted the role? But in the end, McKellen’s Gandalf in LOTR was just too perfect. Sometimes, the magic is in the casting, and in this case, the wizard we know and love today wouldn’t have been the same without Ian McKellen.
