Ian McKellen offered to quit 'The Hobbit' on first day of filming

Ian McKellen has revealed that he offered to opt out of his role as Gandalf in 'The Hobbit' franchise on the first day.

The 74-year-old actor, who had earlier said that he wanted to quit after the production faced delays, has said that he was frustrated when he had to act alone in a miniature house and pretend he was in a packed room, the Daily Express reported.

He told Seven magazine that it was his first day of shooting, and he didn't know who all the actors were.

McKellen added that he couldn't hear what was being said, who was speaking to him, he didn't know what they were looking at and it seemed to him as if he was acting in a vacuum.

He had earlier said that a party scene in the film had left him so frustrated that he was crying and was on the verge of a major temper tantrum, and that this wasn't why he became an actor.