Could Bowie have improved Lord of the Rings?

A few months ago I posted speculation about whether Bowie cast as Max Zorin in the James Bond movie, A View to a Kill could have helped. Bowie turned down the role and the movie turned out to be probably the worst of the franchise. Instead of Bowie, Christopher Walken got the part and of all the film’s problems, he wasn’t one of them. So, while it would have been kinda cool for Bowie to have been a Bond villain, I don’t think he could have saved the movie.

I recently came across an article (click on bolded word to link to the article) that reminded me that Bowie was also considered for a part in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. I either forgot or never knew he was considered for both the roles of Elrond and Gandalf. Jumping ahead to the conclusion, I don’t think the casting of Bowie in these movies would have made them better either, but for the opposite reason as A View to a Kill: The Lord of the Rings was excellent and extremely well-cast.

Not taking anything away from Hugo Weaving, who ultimately played the relatively minor role of Elrond, but Bowie might have been interesting in that role. Bowie had a somewhat elven appearance, and while so too does Weaving, Bowie had those eyes… Elrond doesn’t get a whole lot of screen time, so Bowie’s already-established fame might have underscored the importance and memorability of the character. But Bowie wasn’t a better actor that Hugo Weaving. In all likelihood, his being cast as Elrond would have been a wash.

As for Gandalf— it’s hard to think of anyone else as Gandalf instead of Ian McKellen. Ian McKellen is to acting what Bowie is to singing. I understand that Sean Connery was also considered for that role, and, as much as a fan as I am of Sean Connery…no. It’s entirely plausible that anyone other than Ian McKellen as Gandalf would have detracted from the movies, and that goes for Bowie.

I realize that this isn’t the most insightful post I’ve ever published in this blog. I’m basically saying that the cast in Lord of the Rings was good and Bowie would not likely have improved the movies. The point here is not about the argument, or even the opinion. But there is a point. And that is this— its kinda cool to think about David Bowie in Lord of the Rings!