McKellen turned down less superior Harry Potter role

Ian McKellen refused to take over Richard Harris' role of Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film franchise - because his portrayal of wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is far superior to the Hogwarts character.

The 68-year-old also admits he turned down the opportunity because replacing Harris would have been unsuitable, since the late actor publicly defamed McKellen's acting ability shortly before his death in 2002.