I don’t think he’ he’d be a good Gandalf anyways
nothing against him, but what we got was perfect.
this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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That reminds me of how Will Smith turned down Neo in The Matrix because he thought Wild Wild West was the safer bet.
He would have been an awful Neo. Bullet dodged for everyone.
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It's hard for me to imagine anyone else in any of the roles. They are all such perfect fits.
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He would've been awful. Connery was good at playing smarmy dickheads, but he was kind of ass any time he wasn't playing a smarmy dickhead.
This is why his performance in The Rock is pitch perfect.
Exactly. He may not have been a great actor in terms of range or depth of character, but no one else is delivering a line like "Losers whine about doing their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen" like that.
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Zardoz was awesome though. It actually had an interesting world and compelling sci fi ideas. And one of the greatest reveals in cinema! You know why call him "Zardoz", right?
The gun is good! Penis is evil!
To be fair to Connery, Zardoz was right after 007. He was type casted and nobody would hire him. He had to do something different to get new work. Also, Zardoz is legit a good movie... If you get past the weird and laughable aesthetic choices, the plot is a decent sci fi plot.
And then Highlander, so it was no wonder he was a bit wary when it came to LOTR.
My shubmarine doeshn’t react well to bulletsh, Ryan.
You've really gotta admire his outright contempt at the thought of even attempting a Russian accent in that movie.
His character is actually Lithuanian, so he shouldn't have a Russian accent. Not that Scottish is accurate...
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Also, Zardoz is legit a good movie
Also, Zardoz is where he came up with the policy of not acting in movies that he doesn't "get".
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I heard this story, not sure if it's true, but I choose to believe it and will not hear any corrections; apparently, he was approached about Gandalf, but he turned it down because he didn't really understand it. Then he was approached about Dumbledore, but turned it down because he didn't really understand it. After seeing how those two franchises turned out, he said, "screw it, I'm taking the next role that I don’t get." That role was Alan Quartermaine in League of Extraordinary Gentleman. After that movie bombed he retired from acting altogether.
That role was Alan Quartermaine in League of Extraordinary Gentleman. After that movie bombed he retired from acting altogether.
Which is a shame really because I remember it being... Kinda good? Clearly not a work of great art, but fun action silliness. Admittedly I watched it as a kid and never again so who knows really.
I don't feel the need to discuss the rest of the movie but that car, though ... It was a thing of beauty.
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I'd also argue that however the movie did after the fact, turning down roles you don't understand is probably the smarter option. Maybe those other movies would have also flopped if they had Connery in those roles.
Like I can't picture him doing a good Gandalf. It wouldn't be Gandalf, it would be Sean Connery in a wizard outfit. I can't think of any roles where Connery played someone who wasn't Sean Connery. He brought a lot of charisma to his roles but not a ton of range.
Jesus can you actually imagine if LOTR had Sean Connery instead of Ian McKellen? Hideous prospect. No shade to Connery, he's played some of my favourite characters over the years, but christ that would have been a terrible mistake.
Idk he could land "Run, you foolsh!" pretty well.
"You shall not pash!"
"Is it shecret? Is it shafe?"
"When did Sharuman the wishe replace hish wishdom with madnessh?"
You could play this game all day long
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He didn't quit acting just because the movie bombed. Him and the director had such epic fights on the set of the movie, that BOTH of them quit Hollywood afterwards.
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I've never watched this movie, but have seen images from it. I thought this was burt Reynolds this whole time
I've enjoyed a great deal of movies with Connery as the lead. I think he made the right choice not being Gandalf.
Okay, but hear me out. Zardoz is good.
I know it looks goofy, and it IS goofy. But it's also GOOD.
The director's commentary is so delightfully honest, right at the top he's like "so I'll be the first to admit, this film kinda got away from us,"
Quoting from memory. But that was the gist.
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There was a population boost in the town they filmed Zardoz in due to all of the drug-induced revelry that was going on during the making of that movie.
There is a good chance that town is populated with tens if not scores of Sean Connery's illegitimate grandchildren now.
Cocaine was cheap and plentiful in the 70s.
“And sho do all who live to shee shuch timesh. But that ish not for them to deshide. All we have to deshide ish what to do with the time that ish give to ush.”
Connery even made a Michael Bay movie watchable.
There's not many actors that can say that.
I mean, maybe the bottom picture made perfect sense to Sean?
Yeah, it's called "I was young and broke, and needed the money".
Although, I really do recommend watching Zardoz at least once. It's a trip.
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Oddly, I'd rather watch the imaginative Zardoz than LotR or The Hobbit. Sorry...
BTW, The Hill and The Offence are two Connery films that are well worth watching. His stint on The Hill, IMO, was his best role.
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