Sir Michael Gambon will be remembered as the man who brought Albus Dumbledore to life to many Harry Potter fans but the late actor almost didn't take on the iconic role.
Following original Dumbledore actor Richard Harris' death in 2002, after playing the much-loved Hogwarts headmaster in the first two Harry Potter movies, Sir Ian McKellen was one of the thespians approached to succeed Harris in the role. However, the award-winning actor turned down the offer due to an insult - leaving Gambon free to pop on the wizard's hat and join the magical franchise.
Gambon, whose death at the age of 82 was announced by the actor's family today, won praise for his portrayal as Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films - first appearing on the big screen for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004.
Sean Connery, Patrick McGoohan, Christopher Lee, and Harry Robinson had all been considered to take over from Harris in playing Hogwarts' mysterious and intelligent leader but it's McKellen that had perhaps the most interesting reason for turning the lucrative part down.
Speaking to the BBC previously, McKellen revealed he got a call asking if he would be interested in playing the next Professor Dumbledore but admitted he wouldn't have felt comfortable following on from Harris due to the original Dumbledore once making some disparaging comments about him.
McKellen recalled how Harris had dubbed himself and fellow actors Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh "technically brilliant, but passionless" - something that McKellen didn't agree with at the time as he branded the criticism "nonsense". While McKellen didn't welcome Harris' feedback on his acting skills, the Lord of the Rings actor noblely admitted it wouldn't feel right following in the late actor's footsteps.
"I couldn't take over the part from an actor who I'd known didn't approve of me," McKellen declared when explaining why he turned down the role of Dumbledore in the early 00s. The role of course went to Gambon, who put his own stamp on the magical character and enchanted a generation of Potter fans.
Gambon's death was announced by his family earlier today - with celebrities like Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson leading the online tributes. A statement issued on behalf of Lady Gambon and son Fergus Gambon reads: "We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia."
Gambon, who won four TV Baftas throughout his glittering career, was known for his extensive back catalogue of work across TV, film, radio and theatre over a career spanning five decades. In addition to his stint as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies, the late actor was also known for playing French detective Jules Maigret in ITV series Maigret, and for starring in the BBC series, The Singing Detective.
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