Was Michael Gambon in The Lord of the Rings? How Ian McKellen's insult helped actor land iconic Albus Dumbledore role

Irish-British actor Sir Michael Gambon, best known for playing the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movie franchise, passed away at the age of 82. The news was announced via a media statement issued by the actor's publicist, Clair Dobbs, on September 28, on behalf of his wife, Lady Gambon, and son Fergus Gambon. The statement read:

"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. Michael was 82. We ask that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love."

Born on October 19, 1940, in Cabra, Ireland, Gambon has enjoyed a renowned career in theater and television. He also starred in several memorable films, including Toys (1992), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Gosford Park (2001), and The King's Speech (2010), where he played King George V and was part of the cast that won the SAG Award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.

In addition to that, Michael Gambon was nominated for the Emmy Awards twice, and he took home four BAFTAs. In 2012, the British Independent Film Awards bestowed upon Gambon the Richard Harris Award, which is presented to an actor who has, throughout the course of their career, made remarkable contributions to British cinema. In 1998, the Queen of England bestowed upon him the honor of knighthood.

---

Michael Gambon did not star in the Lord of the Rings movie franchise

Contrary to popular belief, Michael Gambon was not a part of the Lord of the Rings movie franchise. Many fans assumed Sir Michael John Gambon was also in Lord of the Rings because of his portrayal as the wizard Dumbledore in Harry Potter. However, the actor never appeared in any of the films or The Hobbit movie franchise.

Sir Ian McKellen was the actor who performed the role of Gandalf the Grey - a role that he played in the film adaptations of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is interesting to note that Sir Ian once divulged the fact that he was often misidentified as Sir Michael during his life.

After Richard Harris, the first actor to portray Dumbledore, died, Sir Ian was asked to play the famous part. He denied it because Richard Harris had not been a fan of him as an actor, and McKellen thought it would be in bad taste to replace him after his death. While appearing on HARDtalk in 2017 with Stephen Sackur, McKellen said:

"When they called me up and said would I be interested in being in the Harry Potter films, they didn't say what part [they wanted him to play]. I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I’d known didn’t approve of me."

The role ultimately went to Sir Michael Gambon, who played the part of Professor Albus Dumbledore starting from 2004's Prisoner of Azkaban until the franchise ended with The Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2011.

During the same interview, Sakur brought up an alleged allegation made by Richard Harris that him, along with Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh, were "technically brilliant, but passionless."

Sir Ian rubbished the comments as "nonsense" before jokingly adding that he played "the real wizard."