- "The Lord of the Rings is just mythology, it's a fairytale, it's an adventure. It never happened, except in our hearts. But then there was the Shire in 3 dimensions. And smoke coming out of the burrows where they lived….. And, I believed."
- —McKellen on The Lord of the Rings
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE (born May 25, 1939) is a highly acclaimed English actor on both stage and screen. His roles have spanned genres from serious Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular action movies. He is also known for his longtime portrayal of X-Men character Erik Lensherr (Magneto) in the movies based on the Marvel comic. He is also well known as a campaigner for gay rights. For over a decade he has lived in a five-story Victorian conversion in Narrow Street, within London.
McKellen played the role of the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson's three films that comprise the screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's novel trilogy The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King). For the first chapter, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He reprised the role of Gandalf for the three-part film adaptation of The Hobbit, including The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the second-part, The Desolation of Smaug and the final-part of the trilogy, The Battle of the Five Armies.
Filmography
Alfred the Great (1969) - Roger
The Promise (1969) - Leonidik
Priest of Love (1981) - D.H. Lawrence
Time Bandits (1981) - Young
The Keep (1983) - Dr. Theodore Cuza
Zina (1985) - Kronfeld
Plenty (1985) - Sir Andrew Charlson
The Untouchables (1987) - Foley
Spaceballs (1987) - Hank
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) - Samson
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) - Sadler
Scandal (1989) - John Profumo
The Doors (1991) - Leo
Thelma & Louise (1991) - Fred
Point Break (1991) - Paul
The Last Boy Scout (1991) - Horn
Last Action Hero (1993) - Death
The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) - Percy Corcoran
Demolition Man (1993) - Mr. Claire
Six Degrees of Separation (1993) - Geoffrey
Tombstone (1993) - Louis
I'll Do Anything (1994) - John Earl McAlpine
The Shadow (1994) - Reinhardt Lane
Airheads (1994) - Dr. Hal
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) - Flora
Jack & Sarah (1995) - William
Richard III (1995) - Richard III
Empire Records (1995) - Nicky
Casino (1995) - Edward
Heat (1995) - Dr. Albert
Restoration (1995) - Will Gates
Bent (1997) - Uncle Freddie
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) - Carl
The Full Monty (1997) - Platoon
L.A. Confidential (1997) - Caan
Amy Foster (1997) - Dr. James Kennedy
Gods and Monsters (1998) - James Whale
Apt Pupil (1998) - Kurt Dussander
Soldier (1998) - Ozzie
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000) - Kazar
X-Men (2000) - Eric Lensherr / Magneto
Dude, Where's My Car? (2000) - Leonardo
Exit Wounds (2001) - Scott Lee
Swordfish (2001) - Berry
Training Day (2001) - Carry
Bandits (2001) - Jimmy
From Hell (2001) - Timmy
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - Gandalf
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - Gandalf
X2: X-Men United (2003) - Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
Emile (2003) - Emile
The Lord of the Rings (2003) - The Return of the King (2003) - Gandalf
Flight of the Phoenix (2004) - Luke Matthews
The Aviator (2004) - Luke Randall
Elektra (2005) - Martin
Sprung! The Magic Roundabout (2005) - Zebedee (voice)
Hitch (2005) - Elliot
Asylum (2005) - Dr. Peter Cleave
Neverwas (2005) - Gabriel Finch
Eighteen (2005) - Jason Anders (voice)
Displaced (2006) - (voice)
Doogal (2006) - Zebedee (voice)
The Da Vinci Code (2006) - Sir Leigh Teabing
Over the Hedge (2006) - Emmy (voice)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) - Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
The Departed (2006) - Law
Flushed Away (2006) - The Toad (voice)
Blood Diamond (2006) - Clive
Reno 911!: Miami (2007) - Claire
Stardust (2007) - Narrator (voice)
American Gangster (2007) - Chiwetel
Lions for Lambs (2007) - Ford
The Golden Compass (2007) - Iorek Byrnison (voice)
I Am Legend (2007) - Sir Christopher
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) - Andrew
Jumper (2008) - Jean
Knight and Day (2010) - Harrison
Unknown (2011) - Frankie
The Muppets (2011) - Whitey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) - Gandalf
The Wolverine (2013) - Magneto
Jobs (2013) - Hugh
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - Gandalf
Miss in Her Teens (2014) - The Prologue
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Magneto
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) - Gandalf
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) - Darwin
Mr. Holmes (2015) - Sherlock Holmes
Creed (2015) - Rick
The Revenant (2015) - Bile
Deadpool (2016) - Magneto
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016) - Walken
National Theatre Live: No Man's Land (2016) - Spooner
Beauty and the Beast (2017) - Cogsworth
Animal Crackers (2017) - Horatio P. Huntington (voice)
External links
- Ian McKellen Official Website
- Ian McKellen on Wikipedia