When movie star Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy he didn’t know that he was walking away from $450 million.

That’s what Connery lost in income when he rejected the part. To entice him into taking the part, the producers offered Connery a $10 million dollar fee per film and 15% of the box office take for all three pictures. The three films, which are now one of the most successful franchises in movie history, earned nearly $3 billion worldwide while in theaters.

Connery decided not to play Gandalf, a role that eventually went to Ian McKellen, because he said that he didn’t understand the script. Instead, Connery went on to make The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which bombed at the box office.

Connery hasn’t taken a part in a full-length movie since his appearance in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He has essentially retired from acting, appearing only as a voice actor and in a single short film since 2003.

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