We’re still not over the sudden death of the iconic David Bowie, just days after his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar. A true legend in the music industry, he was also an occasional actor who took on several eclectic roles over the course of four decades—even if he sometimes had to audition for them, like in the case of Lord of the Rings.
According to Lord of the Rings co-star Dominic Monaghan, he once witnessed Bowie arrive to read for one of the parts in director Peter Jackson’s first Tolkien trilogy.
While speaking to The Huffington Post, Monaghan related the story of his own audition and his subsequent Bowie sighting. “As I was reading a magazine waiting, David Bowie came in and signed his little list and went in,” recalled Monaghan.”And I’m assuming he read for Gandalf. I can’t think of anything else he would’ve read for. He may have read for something else. But I’m a huge David Bowie fan, and [I’m] lucky enough to know his son [Duncan Jones] now, so just seeing him in person was pretty special to me.”
Could the Goblin King have been the powerful wizard, Gandalf? It’s possible, but other rumors linked Bowie to Lord Elrond of the elves, a role that eventually went to Hugo Weaving.
While Bowie was ultimately not chosen for The Lord of the Rings, his cinematic legacy is secure with his memorable appearances in Labyrinth, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Hunger, and The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Who do you think Bowie could have played in The Lord of the Rings? Let us know in the comment section below!
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Image Credits: Henson Associates/TriStar Pictures
