Ian McKellen we loved him as Gandalf in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ franchise, but almost lost that particular role. In an interview with Variety, the great actor confessed that he was not the first choice to play the hero.

“I don’t think you’re ever the first choice. I certainly wasn’t the first choice for Gandalf,” he said. “Tony (Anthony) Hopkins turned him down. Sean Connery certainly did. They’re all stepping out of the limelight now and I hope they feel like fools.”

The famous wizard of Middle-earth, which he played in six films of the franchise, is just one of many memorable roles of Ian McKellen. He currently appears in the upcoming film ‘The Critic’, playing Jimmy Erskine, ‘an irascible theater critic who exerts a corrosive influence on an aspiring actress named Nina Land’.

Ian McKellen likes to play the villain. “Often the devil has the best lines and it’s fun to play an outrageous man who clearly has some emotional issues,” he said in the interview.

The new film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her protagonist believes in her. “It was an interesting script, leaning towards melodrama,” commented McKellen. “If the audience doesn’t believe in what we’re doing, then they might find some of the action a little too much. It was a difficult balance to strike.”

The 48th Toronto International Film Festival kicked off on Thursday and runs until September 17.

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