Ian McKellen is still mistaken for late Michael Gambon on the street

Ian McKellen is still mistaken for the late actor Michael Gambon on the street - even though he has passed away.

The veteran actor was often confused with Gambon by the public because they both played wizards on film, with McKellen playing Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings franchise and Gambon portraying Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series.

The 84-year-old was recently surprised to discover that he was still being mixed up with Gambon, despite him passing away in September last year.

"Michael Gambon, who played the other wizard, and I were often mistaken for each other, and an odd thing happened last week," he said on The Graham Norton Show. "I was waiting for a train and two women in their 20s said, 'Are you Michael Gambon?' I told them that he was dead, and they said, 'Yes, we know, but are you him?' I think they thought they had seen a ghost."

Gambon passed away on 27 September 2023 aged 82 following a bout of pneumonia.

McKellen appeared on the talk show, which airs in the U.K. on Friday, alongside Michael Sheen.

During the conversation, the Good Omens actor revealed he was often mistaken for McKellen's co-star Andy Serkis, who played Gollum using performance capture technology.

"A lot of people think I am Andy Serkis from Lord of the Rings. I was once followed out of a restaurant in LA by someone screaming Gollum! Gollum! Gollum!" Sheen recalled. "I am not recognised as Andy, but just the hideous character he plays. It's terrible!"