Sir Michael Gambon given Dumbledore role in Harry Potter following actor spat

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Sir Michael Gambon has been fondly remembered by Harry Potter fans across the nation following the tragic news of his passing on Thursday at the age of 82.Following the original Dumbledore actor Richard Harris' death in 2002, Gambon took over the iconic role for the remaining six films with his first debut in the adapted JK Rowling franchise in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004.But the late actor almost didn't take on the role of Hogwarts headmaster as Sir Ian McKellen was one of the first approached to step into the legend's shoes but turned the offer down due to an insult which left a gap for Gambon in the wizarding world.Sean Connery, Patrick McGoohan, Christopher Lee, and Harry Robinson had all been approached for the role according to reports in the Mirror, however it was McKellen's reason for turning it down which sparked the most interest.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 nobly 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.