Sir Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen was offered the role of Dumbledore for the “Harry Potter” movies series, but he turned it down. In this photo, the actor performed on stage as part of a special production of Shakespeare Live! from the RSC on April 23, 2016 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Getty Images/Tristan Fewings

Sir Ian McKellen revealed that he was offered the role of Albus Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” movies, but he had to turn it down because something was amiss.

The actor made a recent appearance on BBC’s HARDtalk show, and he said that he was offered the role after its original actor, Richard Harris, passed away.

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As much as he would have loved to be a part of the movie franchise, McKellen said he could not accept the role because Harris thought he was “technically brilliant but passionless.”

“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,” he explained. “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.”

In the end, Michael Gambon took on the role, and McKellen said he “gloriously plays Dumbledore.” “I think sometimes it is me,” McKellen jokingly said.

The hype for the wizarding world of Harry Potter still remains alive to this day, and it’s all thanks to the spin-off “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which was released just last November. In the sequel, creator J.K. Rowling told fans that they will be meeting a very young Dumbledore.

Dumbledore’s sexuality will even be explored in the film, even though it wasn’t tackled in the “Harry Potter” books or movies. Rowling was questioned about it in an interview at Carnegie Hall. “Well, I’m very comfortable with the question,” Rowling responded, according to Variety. “I would like to say because this is obviously a five-part story, there’s lots to unpack in that relationship.”

“You will see Dumbledore as a younger man and quite a troubled man,” Rowling added. “We’ll see him at that formative period of his life. As far as his sexuality is concerned...watch this space.”

The sequel, which will be directed by David Yates, will be released in November 2018.

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