Quite glad they both were either too busy, expensive or too uninterested to do the role. Nicol Williamson owned Merlin from birth. Whatever was in the script I'm sure he used his skill and experience to take it to another level as he did.

Yeah, I suppose so. I think the best man got the job.

Connery could have done it, but hard to picture him playing the part with the same snarky sense of humor that Williamson did.
My people skills are fine. It's my tolerance of morons that needs work.