24 Years Later, Ian McKellen’s Favorite Lord of the Rings Moment Still Defines Gandalf

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It’s not unusual for actors famous for a particular franchise to eventually grow tired of those roles, but the cast of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy seems to be a happy exception. Many of them consider their time in Middle-earth the peak of their careers – a remarkable sentiment, especially for veterans like Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf. McKellen himself described the role as the most fulfilling of his entire career on the commentary track for The Fellowship of the Ring. Even years later, when he reprised the role in Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, despite finding the extensive use of green screen and CGI challenging, his affection for Gandalf remained strong.

I’m really hoping to see Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf again in future Lord of the Rings projects! He’s even suggested he might be in Andy Serkis’ new film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which is amazing. I was listening to the commentary for The Fellowship of the Ring and McKellen talked about how much he loved filming his scenes with Martin Freeman, who played Bilbo. He actually said those days were two of the best of his entire career! While Gandalf didn’t get to spend as much time with Bilbo as he did with the rest of the Fellowship, it’s clear those scenes meant a lot to everyone involved – both us as fans and the actors themselves.

Gandalf and Bilbo Were Lifelong Friends in The Lord of the Rings

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf and Bilbo shared three significant moments. First, Gandalf visited Bilbo on his 111th birthday. Although Bilbo initially pretended he didn’t want any guests, he was pleased to see his old friend at the door. This scene revealed two key details: Bilbo’s desire to leave the Shire, and the strange effect the One Ring had on him, making him feel stretched and worn. Later that evening, before the party, Gandalf and Bilbo enjoyed a peaceful pipe together on a hill, a quiet break before the festivities began.

Finally, Gandalf went back to Bag End and gently scolded Bilbo for not taking the magical ring seriously. It took a lot of convincing, but Gandalf eventually persuaded Bilbo to leave the One Ring behind in the Shire. These conversations between Gandalf and Bilbo were among the most heartwarming and pleasant moments in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even when Gandalf was firm with Bilbo, it was clear he cared deeply for him. The wonderful connection between actors Ian McKellen and Ian Holm showed that Gandalf and Bilbo had been close friends for many years. This was particularly important because, unlike Tolkien’s books, Peter Jackson’s films didn’t have The Hobbit beforehand; the audience had to understand their history through what they said and how they acted towards each other.

Sir Ian McKellen Praised Sir Ian Holm

Though the two actors, Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Ian Holm, hadn’t known each other before working on The Lord of the Rings, McKellen had long admired Holm’s work. Both began their careers on stage before transitioning to film and television, and McKellen considered Holm “the greatest actor of his generation” after seeing his performance in Henry V. McKellen was particularly impressed with Holm’s portrayal of Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings because he felt it was a challenging role. Bilbo was a quirky and larger-than-life character who could have easily seemed silly, but Holm brought genuine emotion to the part. McKellen also valued that Holm performed each scene take uniquely, giving director Peter Jackson plenty of options during editing. Martin Freeman, who played a younger Bilbo in The Hobbit, adopted a similar approach.

After seeing a rough version of the scene between Gandalf and Bilbo, Ian McKellen wrote on his blog that if the rest of the actors performed as well as Ian Holm, audiences were in for something special. Both Sir Ian McKellens did return for The Hobbit, but unfortunately, they didn’t share any scenes together. Holm only appeared briefly at the beginning and end of the films, and filmed his parts in England rather than traveling to New Zealand. Beyond being a powerful wizard, Bilbo’s conversations highlighted Holm’s character’s kindness, wisdom, and inspiring nature, which is why McKellen enjoyed filming those scenes so much.

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2025-11-02 17:08