No Regrets For McKellen In Turning Down Harry Potter Soon after actor Richard Harris died, there was a lot of talk that Ian McKellen — another premier British actor — could take over the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. For McKellen, however, it was never an option. “People say to me, ‘Don’t you wish you’d played Dumbledore? I say, ‘No!’ I played Gandalf. The original.” McKellen shared those comments with Ireland Online about this character from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But McKellen’s refusal to take on the role seemed to have more to do than simply what character from which franchise was superior. No Regrets For McKellen In Turning Down Harry Potter