“LOTR” casting director confirms David Bowie was eyed as Gandalf

PanARMENIAN.Net - Earlier this year, Dominic Monaghan who played Merry in "The Lord of the Rings" revealed he once saw David Bowie in casting agency. The musician "signed his little list" and Dominic assumed he would be cast as Gandalf, AceShowbiz said.

"David Bowie came in and signed his little list and went in. And I'm assuming he read for Gandalf. I can't think of anything else he would've read for," said Monaghan. Since then, speculation arose about if it's true that the late music icon was ever considered to star in "The Lord of the Rings" movie series.

Now, casting director Amy Hubbard has finally addressed the speculation. Speaking to The Huffington Post, she said that Bowie was indeed considered to play Gandalf.

"He was unavailable," said Hubbard of why Bowie was eventually not cast in the movie. "It was a very quick conversation with the legendary Chris Andrews at CAA. I do believe that [Bowie] went over and played for everybody at the Millennium party. That would've been New Year's Eve in the year 1999, which was when the films were being shot. He went over and entertained everybody, but he never auditioned. That's for sure."

Peter Jackson, the director of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, did want Bowie to play Gandalf. "We approached him. 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 Chris, and [Bowie] was far too busy," Hubbard said.

Sir Ian McKellen eventually took the role of Gandalf.