10 Actors Who Turned Down The Lord Of The Rings Franchise

One does not simply walk into "The Lord of the Rings" movies. Wait, that's not the right quote — or is it? The point is Peter Jackson's trilogy was a big deal around the turn of the millennium, and everyone wanted to be a part of Middle-earth. Well, almost everybody, since a number of actors turned down "The Lord of the Rings" franchise.

It's always a good time to look back at the casting process of major movies and consider the big what-ifs. More often than not, these films go through significant changes to reach their final form, and not every actor envisioned for a role lands up in the part. Look at the risky move replacing Stuart Townsend as Aragorn behind the scenes of "The Lord of the Rings," even though production had already commenced. It paid off in the end, since Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn is arguably one of the best parts of the trilogy, but what if Russell Crowe had been cast instead of him? Or what if "Xena: Warrior Princess" star Lucy Lawless had played Galadriel rather than Cate Blanchett? These were all serious possibilities at one point.

So, with that said, let's head back to the Shire, top up on a second breakfast, and explore the 10 actors who turned down roles in "The Lord of the Rings" franchise and why they did so. In hindsight, some of these castings could have been outstanding, while others may have left fans scratching their heads and asking, "Why?"

Casting Russell Crowe as Aragorn would have been a major coup for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" marketing department, especially since Crowe would have been coming off a Best Actor Oscar win for 2000's "Gladiator." However, no one could have predicted this, since casting for the movie began in the late '90s. That being said, Crowe's reputation in Hollywood had started to burgeon at the time, thanks to his performances in "L.A. Confidential" and "The Insider."

It's for this reason that Crowe believes director Peter Jackson spoke to him, even though he didn't get the feeling that Jackson really wanted him as Aragorn and had been pushed to cast him by the studio. "I am talking to him on the phone, it is like, I don't think he even knows what I have done," Crowe said on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2019. "I just knew that my instinct was that he had somebody else in mind, which turned out to be Viggo [Mortensen], and he should be allowed to hire the actor that he wants."

Crowe confirmed that he had been offered a deal that would have raked him 10% of the backend gross, which Stern calculated to be around $100 million. Jokingly, the actor admitted he doesn't think about the money until people bring up how much he would have made had he said yes to "The Lord of the Rings."

Miranda Otto plays Eowyn in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but it could have been a different performer in the part. Appearing on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in 2017, Uma Thurman revealed that she turned down the role, with host Stephen Colbert joking that he'd have taken the gig had he been offered it.

"It was a very long time ago, and I do consider it one of the worst decisions ever made, but I had just had my first child, and I was a little housebound," Thurman said. In further discussion with Colbert, she explained how being a mother was a new experience to her, so she wasn't about to head off to New Zealand with a baby in tow for a few years to shoot this ambitious trilogy.

This decision resulted in a sequence of events that changed cinema history. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino spent time with Thurman and the baby and wrote "Kill Bill: Volume 1" during this period, with the film entering production in 2002. Had Thurman been cast as Eowyn, she might have had a conflict — since annual pick-up shoots took place for "The Lord of the Rings" movies — and not been able to play the Bride. For Otto, Eowyn became arguably the biggest part of her career. And who is the baby to thank for all of this? Actor Maya Hawke, Thurman and Ethan Hawke's first-born child.

David Bowie was a born entertainer. Not only was he a legendary musician, but he was also a highly underrated actor whom many directors wanted to work with on their projects. In fact, Christopher Nolan had no plan B if Bowie turned down "The Prestige"; it was Bowie as Nikola Tesla or nothing here. Another filmmaker who wanted some Ziggy Stardust magic sprinkled all over his movies was Peter Jackson.

In 2016, Dominic Monaghan, who plays Merry Brandybuck in "The Lord of the Rings" series, claimed he had seen Bowie at his audition, presuming he would be reading for the part of Gandalf. HuffPost asked Amy Hubbard, who worked as a casting director on the films, how much truth there was to this rumor. "We approached him," Hubbard confirmed. "I'm pretty sure it was Peter Jackson's idea in the first few weeks that we got going. It was one that he'd always wondered about, and we rang [Creative Artists Agency talent agent] Chris [Andrews], and [Bowie] was far too busy."

Hubbard added that Jackson considered Bowie for the part of Gandalf, but the discussion wasn't a long one due to Bowie being unable to commit to the movies due to his schedule. The casting director said that Bowie never actually auditioned for the role, but he did perform at a party for the cast and crew on New Year's Eve in 1999.

In "The Lord of the Rings," the part of Gandalf is seminal. The wizard proves to be a critical cog of the overall storyline, so the role required an actor with both gravitas and power to portray him on screen. Unsurprisingly, there were a number of esteemed actors considered for Gandalf before Ian McKellen secured the coveted gig.

According to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy's executive producer Mark Ordesky, New Line Cinema extended an offer to James Bond actor Sean Connery. "We did make an offer to Connery but he said no," Ordesky told The Independent. "We never got an answer until years later, but apparently he read the material and just didn't get it."

Reportedly, Connery would have secured a major payday had he agreed to the part. Since the producers poured a lot of money into the franchise, they wanted a big star to attract mainstream attention, so they were rumored to have offered Connery $10 million per film and 15% of the backend gross. Ultimately, if this was true, this would have seen the Scottish actor bag $450 million after the accountants did the numbers. According to the New Zealand Herald, Connery admitted he just didn't get "The Lord of the Rings" story. "I read the book," he said. "I read the script. I saw the movie. I still don't understand it. Ian McKellen, I believe, is marvelous in it."

The thought of Sean Connery as Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" is an interesting proposition, even if it does feel more like a case of the studio wanting a big name rather than someone who is right for the part. But what about Anthony Hopkins? Heck, this is the actor who shaped Hannibal Lecter into being one of the most frightening antagonists in cinema history, turned Odin an important presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and even caused the audience to care for the robot Jimmy in "Rebel Moon," though no one knows what the purpose of this character was in the series to begin with.

According to Ian McKellen, Hopkins could have had a major influence on "The Lord of the Rings" too. "I certainly wasn't the first choice for Gandalf," McKellen told Variety in 2023. "Tony Hopkins turned it down."

Hopkins hasn't publicly addressed why he said no to the role of Gandalf, though it's likely the same reason many actors turned down "The Lord of the Rings" franchise: The time and commitment required. Since Peter Jackson filmed the three movies back to back, the actors put aside 15 months between 1999 and 2000 to do the movies, then needed to avail themselves for further reshoots in the subsequent years. Getting up to go to work from nine to five is grueling enough, but spending day and night with your co-workers for 15 months? Have mercy!

One actor who wouldn't look out of place in "The Lord of the Rings" franchise is Patrick Stewart. After all, this is the actor who managed to make the character Poop entertaining in "The Emoji Movie," so he can do just about anything he sets his mind to. As it turns out, Stewart did meet with Peter Jackson about a potential role in the franchise.

Appearing at the official "Star Trek" convention in 2008 (via TrekMovie.com), Stewart revealed that he spoke with the director about appearing in the movies. According to the "X-Men" actor, Jackson wanted him for the part of Gandalf, but Stewart wanted to play another character instead. Despite being pressed about which character he had his eye on, Stewart remained mum. Maybe it was Gollum, because who wouldn't want to recite lines like "We wants it. We needs it. Must have the precious. They stole it from us. Sneaky little Hobbitses"?

It wasn't only the character on offer that disappointed Stewart, though, as he expressed displeasure about the script. Resultantly, Stewart said he didn't think he would be approached for "The Hobbit" movies either. If Jackson did approach Stewart again, it remains unknown, but one thing is certain: Stewart didn't appear in "The Hobbit" trilogy.

Sam Neill has had an envious career, but there have been a few times when it could have been even grander for him. He was one of the actors who almost played James Bond and nearly featured in "The Lord of the Rings" franchise.

"I was asked to do something good in 'The Lord of the Rings,' but that conflicted with 'Jurassic Park III,'" Neil told CinemaBlend in 2022. However, he politely declined elaborating on the role he was in discussions for, because he didn't think it would be fair to the actor who was eventually cast in the part. That said, we're allowed to speculate and let the imagination run wild, so let's spit facts here: There's no doubt that Neill would have made a fantastic Elrond in "The Lord of the Rings."

In retrospect, it looks like Neill backed the wrong horse, since Joe Johnston's "Jurassic Park III" isn't remembered as fondly as the previous two entries in the franchise. However, the actor has had nothing but good things to say about the dino movie, declaring it to be the first time in which he truly understood the character of Dr. Alan Grant and deeming it a highly underrated film. Plus, who could ever forget the talking raptor from the dream sequence? Pure cinema!

In the '90s, New Zealand actor Lucy Lawless became synonymous with the show "Xena: Warrior Princess" in which she portrayed the titular character. The show ran for six seasons and proved Lawless' ability to be an almighty action hero. Expectedly, when "The Lord of the Rings" morphed from an idea to active production, Lawless' name came up as a possibility, especially because of her prior experience in the action and fantasy genres and the fact the movies were being filmed in New Zealand.

It's long been rumored among the fandom that Lawless was Peter Jackson's first pick to play Galadriel, but that has never been outright confirmed. What is clear, though, is that Lawless was approached about "The Lord of the Rings" and turned down the opportunity. "They wanted me to come down and talk to them about 'Lord of the Rings,' but I was pregnant at the time," she told Reuters in 2011. "I didn't feel I could do it; I was too wiped out. I didn't realize that these movies would take three years to film, so I probably could have done it."

Lawless admitted that she regretted her decision in hindsight and should have explored the opportunity further, but at the time, she made the choice that she believed was right for her. All in all, no one can complain too much about this missed opportunity, since Cate Blanchett turned out to be a sensational Galadriel in the end.

Adrien Brody needs no introduction. The Oscar-winning actor has delivered a litany of outstanding performances and written his name into the pantheon of greats. He could have added "The Lord of the Rings" to his impressive filmography too, as Brody revealed in a 2021 conversation with GQ.

"I'm telling you a story I haven't really spoken about," Brody said. "They were casting 'Lord of the Rings,' and I somehow didn't grasp it. Don't remember what part I would have been right for, but it was a Hobbit-like character, surely, but I was looking for something else."

Humorously, Brody recalled how he went to watch "The Lord of the Rings" with his then-girlfriend who turned to him and expressed shock that he said no to appearing in the franchise. At that point, the actor realized the error he had made and regretted his decision. However, Brody added that he didn't think he would have been able to be cast as Jack Driscoll in Peter Jackson's "King Kong" had he accepted "The Lord of the Rings" role. "I don't think that would have translated," Brody explained. Well, Prime Video's "The Rings of Power" is still there if the actor fancies doing more television work and fulfilling any fantasy dreams.

Another major name linked to the part of Gandalf was Christopher Plummer. Appearing on "Conan" in 2015, the actor revealed that he couldn't remember the exact reason he turned down "The Lord of the Rings," but joked that he wasn't prepared to spend three to four years in New Zealand since he wanted to visit other countries before he died.

That being said, Plummer declared that he was a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy series and loved reading the books when he was younger. He also lavished praise on the film for being equally good, as well as the "marvelous" casting of Ian McKellen as Gandalf. In fact, Plummer went as far as to say that McKellen brought a dynamic to the character that he might not have been able to do. "He couldn't have been warmer, which I might not have brought to it," Plummer told Conan O'Brien. "I might have been a little cold and imperious."

While it might seem like a missed opportunity for Plummer to cement his legacy in his later career, the actor more than made up for turning down "The Lord of the Rings" franchise with his success thereafter. He secured two Oscar nominations and won the big one for "Beginners" in 2012, while also nabbing a Golden Globe Award for the same film.