Warner Bros. was forced to recast the role of charismatic wizard Albus Dumbledore in their Harry Potter film saga when original actor Richard Harris passed away after filming Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Reportedly, the film company approached Ian McKellen to take on the role, but the actor known for his work as Gandalf The Grey in Peter Jackson's Lord of The Rings Trilogy conceded that he couldn?t bring himself to take over for an actor who once referred to his own work as ?technically brilliant but passionless.? McKellen said, ?when they called me up and said would I be interested in being in the Harry Potter films, they didn?t say in what part, I worked out what they were thinking, and I couldn?t? I couldn?t take over the part from an actor who I?d known didn?t approve of me."
