Gandalf.
The name inspires thoughts of a valiant, wise, loyal, powerful old wizard who was crucial to the success of Bilbo Baggins’ journey to the Lonely Mountain and back, as well as Frodo Baggins’ quest to destroy the One Ring in order to ultimately rid Middle Earth of evil incarnate, also known as Sauron. Obviously, Ian McKellan is the man we all know as the one who breathed life into this character. What’s not so obvious is that high-profile Canadian actor Christopher Plummer turned down the role.
One might start to wonder why a prominent and well known older actor like Plummer would turn down such an opportunity. I mean, who in the last six decades hasn’t read a Tolkien book? I guess, as someone starts to get into their senior years, they might be a little more choosy regarding their long-term commitments. It looks like that was indeed the case with Mr. Plummer, as he is quoted as saying (in response to filming in New Zealand for several years) “There are other countries I’d like to visit before I croak.”
Whether he’s serious or not, you gotta wonder if he spent any time in the last 14 years kicking himself terribly hard. He perhaps did think a pretty much unknown director like Peter Jackson gallivanting around a Southwestern Pacific island nation wasn’t worth his time, but did he not realize the material that was being sourced and the serious filmmaking potential it carried?
Anyway, as we all know, The Lord of the Rings won a combined total of 17 Academy Awards. Come on, Christopher. I know you’re a high-caliber actor that considers his roles carefully, but my word did you miss out on the experience of a lifetime. That’s alright, you’ve still got one hell of an awesome legacy. We forgive you. And I’m sure McKellan thanks you.
Read more about this story over at Cinema Blend.
