Sir Ian McKellen mistaken for dead celebrity in awkward fan encounter

Sir Ian McKellen has explained how he is regularly mistaken for Sir Michael Gambon despite the fact the actor died last year.

Sir Ian, 84, has said that he’s faced awkward encounters over the years after people thought he was the wrong person due to somewhat similar roles they had.

Both playing white-haired wizards in film franchises, Sir Ian played Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and The Hobbit films while Sir Michael starred as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films from 2004 following the death of Richard Harris.

But although Sir Michael died last year aged 82, just last week some fans were convinced he was the actor.

‘Michael Gambon, who played the other wizard, and I were often mistaken for each other, and an odd thing happened last week,’ he shared on the upcoming episode of The Graham Norton Show.

‘I was waiting for a train and two women in their 20s said, “Are you Michael Gambon?”.

‘I told them that he was dead, and they said, “Yes we know but are you him?”.’

He added: ‘I think they thought they had seen a ghost.’

His fellow guest Michael Sheen, 55, said he could relate as he had experienced similar incidents himself.

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‘A lot of people think I am Andy Serkis from Lord Of The Rings,’ he explained.

‘I was once followed out of a restaurant in LA by someone screaming Gollum! Gollum! Gollum! I am not recognised as Andy, but just the hideous character he plays. It’s terrible.’

On this week’s episode other guests include One Day star Ambika Mod, top comic Josh Widdicombe, and singer songwriter Gabrielle. 

In 2017 Sir Ian revealed he had been considered for the role of Dumbledore after Harris’ death, but turned it down.

Speaking to the BBC in an interview with Stephen Sackur for HARDtalk he said: ‘When they called me up and said would I be interested in being in the Harry Potter films, they didn’t say what part.’

Elaborating on why he chose to turn down the part, Sir Ian said it was due to the fact he ‘couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I’d known who didn’t approve of me’.

The Graham Norton Show airs tonight at 10.50pm on BBC One.

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