Gandalf the Grey

Ange1e4e5

Ange1e4e5

Well-Known Member
Gandalf has come up several times for the Frame Narrative for (alongside Balin) escorting Bilbo to Erebor for an anniversary of the Battle of the Five Armies. He also plays a role in Aragorn’s story.

@Faelivrin has expressed interest in having Ian McKellen reprise his role of Gandalf.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005212/
Age: 79 (happens to be the same age Christopher Lee started playing Saruman)
Height: 5’11”
Roles: Gandalf the Grey/Gandalf the White in Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto in X-Men, Sherlock Holmes in Mr. Holmes, Paul Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)

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I’ve been thinking about having a newer actor as Gandalf, with more of an emphasis on the “grumpy old man” in this case.

Jeremy Irons
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000460/
Age: 70
Height: 6’0”
Roles: Scar in The Lion King, Brom in Eragon, Alfred Pennyworth in the DCEU
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jeremy-irons-confirmed-to-return-as-alfred-in-justice-league.jpg

 
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Angel you didn't say the name of that second actor.

But anyway, I think Ian McKlellan was just perfect as Gandalf and can't imagine anyone else being as awesome.
 
https://forums.signumuniversity.org/index.php?threads/gandalf.823/

Link to the earlier thread.

I wouldn’t describe it as me putting a foot down, but I do think - no, I’m convinced - that mixing a new creative work that has its own particular ingredients with another creative work that has a different set of ingredients that the creators of the new effort strives to distance themselves from would be a mistake. In other words, were we to bring in (the great) sir Ian as Gandalf, we would invite the associated world of Peter Jackson, with everything that comes with it.
 
Haakon said:
I wouldn’t describe it as me putting a foot down, but I do think - no, I’m convinced - that mixing a new creative work that has its own particular ingredients with another creative work that has a different set of ingredients that the creators of the new effort strives to distance themselves from would be a mistake. In other words, were we to bring in (the great) sir Ian as Gandalf, we would invite the associated world of Peter Jackson, with everything that comes with it.
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You're probably right, Haakon. And after all I didn't want to re-use Thranduil's actor.
 
I think that we will be dealing with a knee-jerk reaction to reprise the roles from Peter Jackson's film at each step of our journey.

We resisted the urge with Elrond in Season 1 (easy, because Hugo Weaving was one of the less spot-on casting choices and Peter Jackson's Elrond was several steps removed from Tolkien's Elrond).

I think we should continue to resist. I think Ian McKellen did a fine job as Gandalf, and he's well-loved for that role, as he deserves to be. So, certainly nothing wrong with what came before, but taking an intentional step away from that allows us to make different choices.

Because if we nominate any of these actors for the roles they had in Jackson's project, there will be a strong tendency to vote for them, rather than to consider new faces.

This is one of the more tempting ones, but we don't have to imagine only one actor in this John Howe painting:

http://www.cvltnation.com/wp-conten...ohn-Howe-fantasy-3987368-1265-850-820x550.jpg
 
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"a figure strongly built with broad shoulder, though shorter than the average of men and now stooped with age, leaning on a thick rough-cut staff as he trudged along...Gandalf's hat was wide-brimmed (a shady hat, H. p. 14) with a pointed conical crown, and it was blue; he wore a long grey cloak, but this would not reach much below his knees. It was an elven silver-grey hue, though tarnished by wear--as is evident by the general use of grey in the book...But his colors were always white, silver-grey, and blue--except for the boots he wore when walking in the wild...Gandalf even bent must have been at least 5 ft. 6...Which would make him a short man even in modern England, especially with the reduction of a bent back."

This is Tolkiens own words about Gandalf, so a rather short man with broad shoulders is the ideal, not the tall and slender that many seem to have in their mind.
 
Darnok said:
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"a figure strongly built with broad shoulder, though shorter than the average of men and now stooped with age, leaning on a thick rough-cut staff as he trudged along...Gandalf's hat was wide-brimmed (a shady hat, H. p. 14) with a pointed conical crown, and it was blue; he wore a long grey cloak, but this would not reach much below his knees. It was an elven silver-grey hue, though tarnished by wear--as is evident by the general use of grey in the book...But his colors were always white, silver-grey, and blue--except for the boots he wore when walking in the wild...Gandalf even bent must have been at least 5 ft. 6...Which would make him a short man even in modern England, especially with the reduction of a bent back."
This is Tolkiens own words about Gandalf, so a rather short man with broad shoulders is the ideal, not the tall and slender that many seem to have in their mind.
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Well of course, he’ll likely be less physically imposing than anyone who plays Saruman.
 
Timothy Dalton? Giancarlo Esposito? Both I believe have the gravitas and can shift from tender and fatherly to imposing and fiery in the blink of an eye

Dalton:
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Esposito:
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Rob Harding said:
Timothy Dalton? Giancarlo Esposito? Both I believe have the gravitas and can shift from tender and fatherly to imposing and fiery in the blink of an eye

Dalton:
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Esposito:
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Hi Rob! Great suggestions! I have to inform you though that we did this about a year ago, and Gary Oldman was chosen to play Gandalf. But please keep suggesting actors for the current season (Season 5).
 
I spotted this just now. I'll have to keep Giancarlo in my back pocket for another time.


That's a weird image
 
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