Ian McKellen Says Peter Jackson Never Confirmed David Bowie Auditioned for Gandalf
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By Victoria Edel Published on May 11, 2026 02:30PM EDT
20d ago· 4 min readenNews
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Summary
Ian McKellen addresses the rumor that David Bowie auditioned for the role of Gandalf in 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. In an interview with The Guardian, McKellen, now 86, says he could never get director Peter Jackson to confirm whether Bowie was considered for the wizard role. McKellen also reflects on how he interpreted Gandalf and speculates on how Bowie's performance might have differed. Bowie, who died in 2016 at age 69, was known for roles in 'Labyrinth' and 'The Prestige.'
Key quotes
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Dominic Monaghan says he saw David Bowie in the casting office for Lord of the Rings. Did Peter Jackson ever mention he'd considered Bowie for the role of Gandalf?
Ian McKellen addresses the rumor that David Bowie once auditioned to play Gandalf in 'The Lord of the Rings' movies. McKellen also talked about how he interpreted Gandalf and guessed how Bowie's performance would have been different. Bowie, who died in 20
