Ian McKellen Reveals Why He Turned Down Dumbledore Role in 'Harry Potter' Films

Ian McKellen was once offered a chance at the role of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films after the original actor chosen for the role, Richard Harris, passed away after making the first two movies in the franchise.

“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,” Ian said during an appearance on the BBC. “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.”

Richard apparently called Ian‘s acting, “technically brilliant but passionless,” in the past.