The role that David Bowie was close to playing in LOTR

It's been a question that has plagued music and film fans alike all year: did David Bowie audition for Lord of the Rings?

Following the singer's death in January, LOTR actor Dominic Monaghan revealed he had seen Bowie at the auditions for the fantasy series.

"David Bowie came in and signed his little list and went in. And I'm assuming he read for Gandalf. I can't think of anything else he would've read for," Monaghan, who played Merry in the original trilogy, told the Huffington Post at the time.

Now the series casting director has revealed the truth behind the story.

"We approached him. I'm pretty sure it was Peter Jackson's idea in the first few weeks that we got going," Amy Hubbard told the Huffington Post.

However, before you get too excited, Bowie never actually auditioned.

"We rang [his agent], and [Bowie] was far too busy.

"I do believe that [David Bowie] went over and played for everybody at the Millennium party. That would've been New Year's Eve in the year 1999, which was when the films were being shot. He went over and entertained everybody, but he never auditioned. That's for sure."

She did confirm that Jackson wanted Bowie to play Gandalf, and not elf lord Elrond as it was previously speculated.

While fans may always wonder what Bowie would have been like in the role, there is no denying just how magical and iconic Sir Ian McKellen's performance as Gandalf is.

- NZ Herald