Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen

Birthdate
May 25, 1939 (85 years old)
Place of Birth
Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
Known For
Acting

Details

Birthdate
May 25, 1939 (85 years old)
Place of Birth
Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
Known For
Acting

Biography

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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Ian McKellen's LGBTQ+ Titles

And the Band Played On
And the Band Played On
Bill Kraus
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
Self
Bent
Bent
Uncle Freddie
Gods and Monsters
Gods and Monsters
James Whale
Eighteen
Eighteen
Jason Anders (voice)
McKellen: Playing the Part
McKellen: Playing the Part
Himself
Hating Peter Tatchell
Hating Peter Tatchell
Self

Acting (189)

Billy And Dom Eat The World as Self (1 episode)
Amol Rajan Interviews as Self - Interviewed Guest (1 episode)
Hamlet Revenant
A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King' as Self
Marley as Scrooge (rumored)
Richard II as Richard II
Schadenfreude as Continuity Announcer
Untitled Anthony Hopkins Documentary as Self
2024
The Critic as Jimmy Erskine
2024
Dragfox as Ginger Snap the Fox (Speaking)
2024
The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved
2024
The Life and Death of Lily Savage as Self
2024
Hamlet as Hamlet
2024
ted as Narrator (voice) (2 episodes)
2023
The One Note Man as Narrator (voice)
2022
Quintessentially British as Self
2022
Hamlet Within
2022
Amol Rajan Interviews Ian McKellen as Self
2021
2021
Great British Theatre (5 episodes)
2021
Infinitum: Subject Unknown as Dr. Charles Marland-White
2020
Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU
2020
Reunited Apart as Self (1 episode)
2020
Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet
2019
Cats as Gus, the Theatre Cat
2019
The Good Liar as Roy Courtnay
2019
On Broadway as Self
2018
All Is True as Earl of Southampton
2018
National Theatre Live: King Lear as King Lear
2018
2017
Animal Crackers as Horatio P. Huntington (voice)
2017
The Paul O'Grady Story as Self
2017
How a Kite Flies as Mr. Kite (voice)
2017
Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth
2017
Edmund the Magnificent as Self - Narrator (voice)
2016
Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage as Self
2016
National Theatre Live: No Man's Land as Spooner
2016
Play the Devil: Making Richard III
2016
Shakespeare on Film
2016
Shakespeare on Stage, Screen and Elsewhere with Ian McKellen
2016
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film as Prospero's Speech Reader (voice)
2016
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC as Self - Performer
2016
The Roof as And Even Yet Another Fan
2015
Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC as Self (archive footage)
2015
The Dresser as Norman
2015
Mr. Holmes as Sherlock Holmes
2014
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self (1 episode)
2014
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies as Gandalf the Grey
2014
Nelson Mandela Redrawn as Self
2014
Trailblazer Honors as Self - Speaker (1 episode)
2014
X-Men: Days of Future Past as Magneto
2014
Miss in Her Teens as The Prologue
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self (1 episode)
2013
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug as Gandalf the Grey
2013
The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin as Self
2013
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot as Self
2013
Muse of Fire as Self
2013
The Wolverine as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (uncredited)
2013
The Egg Trick as Magician
2013
Vicious as Freddie Thornhill (12 episodes)
2012
Doctor Who: The Snowmen as The Great Intelligence (voice)
2012
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Gandalf the Grey
2012
London 2012: Paralympics Opening Ceremony as Self
2011
Perspectives (1 episode)
2011
Looking for Lowry as Himself
2011
The Betty Driver Story as Self
2010
Lady Grey London
2010
Small-Time Revolutionary as Hamish Miller (voice)
2010
A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation as Narrator (voice)
2010
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self (archive footage)
2009
The Prisoner as 2 / Curtis (6 episodes)
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2009
Theatreland as Himself
2008
King Lear as King Lear
2007
The Golden Compass as Iorek Byrnison (voice)
2007
Stardust as Narrator (voice)
2007
The Art of Breaking Character as Self
2007
For the Love of God as The Jackdaw
2007
The Graham Norton Show as Self (8 episodes)
2007
The Graham Norton Show as Self - Guest (3 episodes)
2006
Flushed Away as The Toad (voice)
2006
The One Show as Self - Guest (2 episodes)
2006
X-Men: The Last Stand as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
2006
The Da Vinci Code as Sir Leigh Teabing
2006
Saint of 9/11 as Narrator
2006
Doogal as Zebedee (voice)
2005
Neverwas as Gabriel Finch
2005
Asylum as Dr. Peter Cleave
2005
The Hobart Shakespeareans as Himself
2005
Extras as Ian McKellen (1 episode)
2005
Doctor Who as Voice of the Snowman (1 episode)
2005
The Magic Roundabout as Zebedee (voice)
2005
Ringers: Lord of the Fans as Self
2005
Eighteen as Jason Anders (voice)
2004
Who Do You Think You Are? as Self (1 episode)
2004
The Paul O'Grady Show (1 episode)
2004
Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!! as Self
2004
Peter Tatchell: Just Who Does He Think He Is?
2003
The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision as Self
2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as Gandalf
2003
Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King as Self
2003
The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men - Making X2
2003
Churchill as Himself - Narrator (voice) (3 episodes)
2003
X2 as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
2003
Real Time with Bill Maher as Self (2 episodes)
2003
X-Men: Premieres Around the World as Self
2003
Evolution X - The Making of X-Men
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1 episode)
2003
Émile as Emile
2003
Film Collectibles: Capturing Movie Memories as Self
2002
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as Gandalf
2002
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway as Self (1 episode)
2001
Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring as Self
2001
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as Gandalf
2001
A Passage to Middle-Earth: Making of 'Lord of the Rings' as Self
2001
Quest for the Ring as Self
2001
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love as Narrator (voice)
2000
Now You See Him: 'The Invisible Man' Revealed! as Self
2000
X-Men as Magneto
2000
X-Men: The Mutant Watch as Self - 'Magneto'
2000
Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man as Narrator (voice)
1999
David Copperfield as Creakle (2 episodes)
1999
The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale as Self
1999
Family Guy as Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (voice) (1 episode)
1998
Apt Pupil as Kurt Dussander
1998
Gods and Monsters as James Whale
1998
Swept from the Sea as Dr. James Kennedy
1998
Parkinson as Self (3 episodes)
1997
Bent as Uncle Freddie
1997
The View as Self - Guest (2 episodes)
1997
Surviving Friendly Fire
1997
A Bit Of Scarlet as Narrator
1996
An Evening with Lily Savage as Self
1996
Rasputin as Tsar Nicholas II
1995
Richard III as Richard III
1995
Restoration as Will Gates
1995
Jack & Sarah as William
1995
Cold Comfort Farm as Amos Starkadder
1994
To Die For as Quilt Documentary Narrator (voice)
1994
Stonewall 25: Global Voices of Pride and Protest
1994
Inside the Actors Studio as Self (1 episode)
1994
The Shadow as Dr. Reinhardt Lane
1994
David Macaulay: Roman City as Augustus Caesar (voice)
1994
I'll Do Anything as John Earl McAlpine
1993
Six Degrees of Separation as Geoffrey
1993
Tales of the City as Archibald Anson Gidde (2 episodes)
1993
And the Band Played On as Bill Kraus
1993
The Ballad of Little Jo as Percy Corcoran
1993
Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up as Narration (voice)
1993
Last Action Hero as Death
1992
Gladio as Aldo Moro (voice)
1990
Have I Got News for You as Self (1 episode)
1990
Othello as Iago
1989
The Simpsons as Ian McKellen (voice) (1 episode)
1989
Countdown to War as Adolf Hitler
1989
Scandal as John Profumo
1988
Windmills of the Gods as Chairman (2 episodes)
1988
Scarfe's Follies
1985
Zina as Kronfeld
1985
Plenty as Sir Andrew Charleson
1984
Playing Shakespeare (9 episodes)
1983
The Keep as Dr. Theodore Cuza
1983
Walter and June as Walter
1982
The Scarlet Pimpernel as Chauvelin
1982
Walter as Walter
1982
Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare
1981
Pillar of Fire as Narrator (20 episodes)
1981
Priest of Love as D.H. Lawrence
1979
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour as Alexander Ivanov
1979
Macbeth as Macbeth
1978
Armchair Thriller as Anthony Skipling (60 episodes)
1978
An Audience with... as Self (1 episode)
1975
Saturday Night Live as Self - Host (1 episode)
1974
Playhouse (3 episodes)
1972
Hedda Gabler as George Tesman
1972
Country Matters as David Masterman (13 episodes)
1970
Hamlet as Hamlet
1970
Edward II as King Edward
1970
The Tragedy of King Richard II as King Richard II
1969
The Promise
1969
Sesame Street as Himself (1 episode)
1969
Alfred the Great as Roger
1969
A Touch of Love as George
1966
David Copperfield as David Copperfield (13 episodes)
1965
The Trial and Torture of Sir John Rampayne as Wolf
1965
BBC Play of the Month as Captain Plume (1 episode)
1960
Coronation Street as Mel Hutchwright (13 episodes)
1953
The Oscars as Self (3 episodes)

Production (2)

2019
The Isle • Associate Producer
• Associate Producer
1995
Richard III • Executive Producer
• Executive Producer

Writing (1)

1995
Richard III • Screenplay
• Screenplay