Ian McKellen's Missed Opportunity Led to Gandalf and Magneto Greatness

According to a recent report, acclaimed actor Ian McKellen narrowly avoided missing out on two of his most iconic roles due to a decision he made years ago. In 2000, McKellen was offered a part in the Tom Cruise-led sequel Mission: Impossible 2, but he had to turn it down.

Fortunately, this decision ultimately allowed McKellen to portray the beloved characters of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and Magneto in the X-Men films. McKellen revealed that had he accepted the Mission: Impossible 2 role, he would not have been available to play these two legendary characters.

The article notes that Gandalf and Magneto are now so closely associated with McKellen that it's hard to imagine anyone else in those roles. Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible 2 is generally considered the least popular installment in the franchise.

McKellen's story highlights the unpredictable nature of Hollywood. The actor says that due to a delay in the production of X-Men, he initially thought he would have to bow out of playing Gandalf. However, the Lord of the Rings team, including director Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema executive Robert Shaye, went out of their way to accommodate McKellen's schedule.

In the end, McKellen's ability to portray these iconic characters was a matter of "luck and people's kindness," as he puts it. The article concludes that through a series of fortunate events, the world was able to witness two of McKellen's most celebrated performances.