'Hobbit' Star Ian McKellen Reveals Why He Almost Ditched Role

Actor comes clean on his website about a series of issues that nearly kept him from returning to Middle Earth.
By Eric Ditzian

Ian McKellen
Photo: Dave Hogan/ Getty Images

Why did it take the man behind Gandalf so long to commit officially to "The Hobbit"? In a surprisingly candid post on his website, Ian McKellen opened up on Wednesday (January 12) about behind-the-scenes developments and his own ambivalence surrounding the two-part project.

"Could I let Gandalf go? Would anyone else care if I did?" he wrote, going on to cite the example of the "Harry Potter" franchise. "Elsewhere, does anyone care that Michael Gambon was not the first to play Dumbledore?"

The issue all along was not whether he still feels creatively energized by Gandalf — "I long to do it," McKellen told us of the role back in November of 2009. Rather, the sticking point was simply that the production faced delay after delay and, as the 71-year-old McKellen put it, "All I had to decide was what to do with the time that is given me."

First, producer Peter Jackson and director Guillermo del Toro struggled to get the production off the ground as MGM faced severe financial difficulties, and then a planned date to begin shooting early last year came and went. Del Toro departed the project, Jackson stepped in to direct and the production faced a dustup with New Zealand's trade union. The prospect of shooting outside that country bubbled up.

All the while, McKellen remained fascinated with the scripts. "It was true to the style, the fun and the romance of the trilogy," he wrote of the "Part One" pages. Yet when the production finally got back on track, with Martin Freeman taking on the starring role of Bilbo and a February 2011 date set to begin filming, McKellen still found himself unsure.

"I kept wondering was Gandalf what I most wanted to do, more than a new play for instance or indeed a new part?" he wrote. "Sequels aren't necessarily as rewarding to act in as their originals.

"The deciding negotiation was not about money but about dates," he added. "Gandalf is needed on set over the next 18 months but with sizeable breaks when I can work on other projects. My worry that I could not easily escape from Middle Earth was lifted. I am happy to say I start filming in Wellington on February 21 2011."

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