Ian McKellen is one of the most respected and talented actors in Hollywood. Over the course of his lengthy career, he established himself as a force to be reckoned with, achieving so much through his acting career that he was even knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. His versatility knows no limitations, having starred in many different kinds of roles and movies from all genres.
Considering just how talented and successful he is, it is not surprising that the actor is offered many different types of roles. Sometimes that may be through lesser-known sources, and others they may be very high-profile projects.
It would seem that the actor was asked to be a part of Tom Cruise’s iconic film series, Mission: Impossible, being offered the role of Commander Swanbeck in the second movie. Interestingly enough, the actor rejected this offer due to one reason.
Mission: Impossible Was Far Too Cryptic
During an interview with People, Ian McKellen revealed that he was offered a role in Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible II. He mentioned that he was originally supposed to play Anthony Hopkins’ role as Commander Swanbeck. However, there was one aspect of the deal that made him hesitate to join the cast.
“I got offered a part in Mission: Impossible II with Tom Cruise, but they wouldn’t let me see the whole script because I might have spilled the beans. I only got my scenes.”
He revealed that the movie’s creators would not allow him to read the entire script. He was only allowed to go through his scenes. Fans of the film series are aware that Swanbeck’s character gets very little screen time, which would mean that McKellen could only see very small sections of the story. This was to make sure the script did not leak.
Ian McKellen Did Not Want To Be Kept In The Dark
A condition where he was completely in the dark was not very appealing to Ian McKellen, which is not surprising. If the actor had agreed to this condition, he would be agreeing to be a part of a project, without actually knowing what he had signed onto. Pondering the decision, it would seem that he went to his agent for advice.
“Well, I couldn’t judge from reading just those scenes what the script was like. So I said no. And my agent said, “You can’t say no to working with Tom Cruise!” and I said, “I think I will.””
Rather than taking his side, McKellen’s agent asked if the actor was really going to pass on the opportunity to be a part of the Mission: Impossible world. Such vanity did not seem to be a matter of concern for the actor, so he let the role pass. Interestingly enough, he received two calls the next day; one for the role of Magneto and one for Gandalf.
The X-Men films and The Lord of the Rings franchise have become some of McKellen’s most well-known works to date.
