Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen

Date of Birth:

May 25, 1939

Place of Birth:

Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK

Sir Ian Murray McKellen CH CBE (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. With a career spanning more than sixty years, he is noted for his roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cultural icon and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. He has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, six Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and five Emmy Awards.

McKellen made his stage debut in 1961 at the Belgrade Theatre as a member of its repertory company, and in 1965 he made his first West End appearance. In 1969, he was invited to join the Prospect Theatre Company to play the lead parts in Shakespeare's Richard II and Marlowe's Edward II. In the 1970s McKellen became a stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain. He has earned five Olivier Awards for his roles in Pillars of the Community (1977), The Alchemist (1978), Bent (1979), Wild Honey (1984), and Richard III (1995). McKellen made his Broadway debut in The Promise (1965). He went on to receive the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus (1980). He was further nominated for Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare (1984). He returned to Broadway in Wild Honey (1986), Dance of Death (1990), No Man's Land (2013), and Waiting for Godot (2013), the latter two being a joint production with Patrick Stewart.

McKellen achieved worldwide fame for his film roles, including the titular King in Richard III (1995), James Whale in Gods and Monsters (1998), Magneto in the X-Men films, and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) trilogies. Other notable film roles include A Touch of Love (1969), Plenty (1985), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Restoration (1995), Mr. Holmes (2015), and The Good Liar (2019).

McKellen came out as gay in 1988 and has since championed LGBT social movements worldwide. He was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in October 2014. McKellen is a cofounder of Stonewall, an LGBT rights lobby group in the United Kingdom, named after the Stonewall riots. He is also patron of LGBT History Month, Pride London, Oxford Pride, GayGlos, LGBT Foundation, and FFLAG.

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filmography:

Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King

2003

Restoration Restoration

1995

Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler

1972

A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King' A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King'

1970

The Promise The Promise

1969

Edward II Edward II

1970

The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved

2024

Shakespeare Live! From the RSC Shakespeare Live! From the RSC

2016

Dragfox Dragfox

2024

The Roof The Roof

2016

National Theatre Live: No Man's Land National Theatre Live: No Man's Land

2016

X-Men: Premieres Around the World X-Men: Premieres Around the World

2003

Quest for the Ring Quest for the Ring

2001

Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage

2016

The Art of Breaking Character The Art of Breaking Character

2007

Evolution X - The Making of X-Men Evolution X - The Making of X-Men

2003

The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men - Making X2 The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men - Making X2

2003

Beauty and the Beast Beauty and the Beast

2017

Lady Grey London Lady Grey London

2010

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

2013

Animal Crackers Animal Crackers

2017

Hamlet Hamlet

1970

The Wolverine The Wolverine

2013

I'll Do Anything I'll Do Anything

1994

Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up

1993

Stonewall 25: Global Voices of Pride and Protest Stonewall 25: Global Voices of Pride and Protest

1994

The Hobart Shakespeareans The Hobart Shakespeareans

2005

Untitled Anthony Hopkins Documentary Untitled Anthony Hopkins Documentary

1970

The Life and Death of Lily Savage The Life and Death of Lily Savage

2024

The Dresser The Dresser

2015

Doctor Who: The Snowmen Doctor Who: The Snowmen

2012

Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC

2015

Looking for Lowry Looking for Lowry

2011

Quintessentially British Quintessentially British

2022

Nelson Mandela Redrawn Nelson Mandela Redrawn

2014

A Passage to Middle-Earth: Making of 'Lord of the Rings' A Passage to Middle-Earth: Making of 'Lord of the Rings'

2001

A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation

2010

The Tragedy of King Richard II The Tragedy of King Richard II

1970

Countdown to War Countdown to War

1989

The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin

2013

Ringers: Lord of the Fans Ringers: Lord of the Fans

2005

Small-Time Revolutionary Small-Time Revolutionary

2010

Hating Peter Tatchell Hating Peter Tatchell

2021

Eighteen Eighteen

2005

Play the Devil: Making Richard III Play the Devil: Making Richard III

2016

Shakespeare on Film Shakespeare on Film

2016

On Broadway On Broadway

2019

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy

2010

Scarfe's Follies Scarfe's Follies

1988

Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet

2020

Infinitum: Subject Unknown Infinitum: Subject Unknown

2021

Shakespeare on Stage, Screen and Elsewhere with Ian McKellen Shakespeare on Stage, Screen and Elsewhere with Ian McKellen

2016

X-Men: The Mutant Watch X-Men: The Mutant Watch

2000

The Egg Trick The Egg Trick

2013

Marley Marley

1970

The Paul O'Grady Story The Paul O'Grady Story

2017

McKellen: Playing the Part McKellen: Playing the Part

2018

Cats Cats

2019

The Betty Driver Story The Betty Driver Story

2011

The Good Liar The Good Liar

2019

Hamlet Revenant Hamlet Revenant

1970

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin

2017

National Theatre Live: King Lear National Theatre Live: King Lear

2018

Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!! Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!!

2004

How a Kite Flies How a Kite Flies

2017

Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring

2001

The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale

1999

Edmund the Magnificent Edmund the Magnificent

2017

The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision

2003

All Is True All Is True

2018

David Macaulay: Roman City David Macaulay: Roman City

1994

Peter Tatchell: Just Who Does He Think He Is? Peter Tatchell: Just Who Does He Think He Is?

2004

Mr. Holmes Mr. Holmes

2015

Macbeth Macbeth

1979

Plenty Plenty

1985

Hamlet Within Hamlet Within

2022

The Keep The Keep

1983

Last Action Hero Last Action Hero

1993

Scandal Scandal

1989

Apt Pupil Apt Pupil

1998

Cold Comfort Farm Cold Comfort Farm

1995

Émile Émile

2003

X-Men X-Men

2000

King Lear King Lear

2008

The Magic Roundabout The Magic Roundabout

2005

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man

2000

An Evening with Lily Savage An Evening with Lily Savage

1996

The Trial and Torture of Sir John Rampayne The Trial and Torture of Sir John Rampayne

1965

X2 X2

2003

X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand

2006

The Shadow The Shadow

1994

Asylum Asylum

2005

The Golden Compass The Golden Compass

2007

Stardust Stardust

2007

Swept from the Sea Swept from the Sea

1998

Gods and Monsters Gods and Monsters

1998

The Da Vinci Code The Da Vinci Code

2006

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

2002

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2003

Jack & Sarah Jack & Sarah

1995

And the Band Played On And the Band Played On

1993

Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU

2020

The Scarlet Pimpernel The Scarlet Pimpernel

1982

Doogal Doogal

2006

Flushed Away Flushed Away

2006

Richard III Richard III

1995

Six Degrees of Separation Six Degrees of Separation

1993

Neverwas Neverwas

2005

Rasputin Rasputin

1996

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2012

A Bit Of Scarlet A Bit Of Scarlet

1997

Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare

1982

The Critic The Critic

2024

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Every Good Boy Deserves Favour

1979

Muse of Fire Muse of Fire

2013

Walter and June Walter and June

1983

Film Collectibles: Capturing Movie Memories Film Collectibles: Capturing Movie Memories

2003

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love

2001

Miss in Her Teens Miss in Her Teens

2014

The One Note Man The One Note Man

2023

All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film

2016

Hamlet Hamlet

2024

For the Love of God For the Love of God

2007

Amol Rajan Interviews Ian McKellen Amol Rajan Interviews Ian McKellen

2022

Zina Zina

1985

Othello Othello

1990

Surviving Friendly Fire Surviving Friendly Fire

1997

To Die For To Die For

1994

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great

1969

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

2013

Walter Walter

1982

The Ballad of Little Jo The Ballad of Little Jo

1993

Bent Bent

1997

Priest of Love Priest of Love

1981

Gladio Gladio

1992

Richard II Richard II

1970

Now You See Him: 'The Invisible Man' Revealed! Now You See Him: 'The Invisible Man' Revealed!

2000

London 2012: Paralympics Opening Ceremony London 2012: Paralympics Opening Ceremony

2012

A Touch of Love A Touch of Love

1969

Theatreland Theatreland

2009

X-Men: Days of Future Past X-Men: Days of Future Past

2014

Schadenfreude Schadenfreude

1970

Saint of 9/11 Saint of 9/11

2006

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

2014

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

2001

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