Ian McKellen Reveals The 2 Other Major Stars Who Were Offered The Role of Gandalf in 'Lord of the Rings'

Ian McKellen wasn’t the first choice to play Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, and he knows it.

During his new feature with Variety, the 84-year-old actor actually revealed the two other stars who turned down the role before it was offered to him.

“I don’t think you’re ever the first choice. I certainly wasn’t the first choice for Gandalf,” Ian told the outlet, adding that the ones who were up for the role are “coming out of the woodwork now, and I hope they feel silly.”

Gandalf, who is a wizard of the Istari order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring, appeared in all of the following movies: The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

Head inside to see which other stars were offered the role of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings…