We wouldn’t want to be in Peter Jackson’s shoes when he had to make the tough decision to turn down David Bowie for a part in his Lord of the Rings films.

According to actor Dominic Monaghan -- who portrayed the hobbit Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck -- Bowie auditioned for the Lord of the Rings movies. While Monaghan estimates Bowie must have been vying for the role of Gandalf, there is also a rumor he auditioned for Lord Elrond. Those two roles went to Ian McKellan and Hugo Weaving, respectively.

“As I was reading a magazine waiting, David Bowie came in and signed his little list and went in,” Monaghan told the Huffington Post. “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.”

“I’m a huge David Bowie fan, and I was lucky enough to know his son now,” the actor continued, “so just seeing him in person was pretty special to me.”

Unfortunately, an LOTR franchise with the iconic English star will just have to be something reserved for the depths of our imaginations. Still, Bowie managed an impressive career on the silver screen, too, including his role as the Goblin King in the beloved 1986 cult classic Labyrinth. A sequel for that movie is reportedly being workshopped by the Jim Henson Co.

Worst to First: Every David Bowie Album Ranked

More From Diffuser.fm