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Ian McKellen

Sir Ian Mckellen was born on May 25th, 1939, in Burnley, England. He had an early appreciation for the theatre, which was encouraged by both his parents (Denis and Margery). They took Ian to many plays, particularly Shakespearean ones, and he made an effort to get parts in all school plays as well. His very first Shakespearean role was at Bolton School, as Malvolio in Twelfth Night. He loved to attend Stratford-upon-Avon theater festivals and watch greats like Gielgud, Richardson, and Olivier perform. He studied English at Cambridge University, and appeared in over 20 undergraduate productions.

In 1961, Mckellen received his Bachelor of Arts degree, and spend the next few years in a theatre career. A Scent of Flowers in 1964 was his first London appearance, and it won him the Clarence Derwent Award … as well as an invitation from Sir Laurence Olivier to join the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic Theatre.

In 1968, Ian Mckellen went public with his homosexuality on the BBC Radio 4 program. He has been active in the Gay Rights Movements from that time on.

Sir Ian worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company at both Stratford-upon-Avon and London, and his roles included Romeo, Macbeth, Iago, and Leontes. His many awards on Broadway include a Tony for Best Actor in the 1980-1981 run of Amadeus. Wild Honey, The Critic, Bent, Uncle Vanya, and Peter Pan are among his successes at the Royal National Theatre – where he is also a Board member. He toured the world with Richard III, and the film version (which he co-scripted) was a huge success … one which got him a Globe nomination for Best Actor in 1996.

For his work in the arts, Sir Ian was knighted in 1990 by Queen Elizabeth.

Cold Comfort Farm, Rasputin, The Band Played On, Apt Pupil, X-Men, and Gods and Monsters are among Sir Ian’s film successes, ones that earned him several nominations and awards. Gods and Monsters earned him nominations for both a Golden Globe and Academy Award as Best Actor (1999).

Interesting fact: Sir Ian played the Vampire in the Pet Shop Boy’s video Heart.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Sir Ian had read The Hobbit, but not The Lord of the Rings when the film project began. When asked if he had since read the books, he responded:

“Oh, yes. They even became our bible. There was even a pocket in Gandalf's costume to carry it. I went through the book and underlined everything that was said about Gandalf, by Tolkien or by the other characters or by himself—and tried to incorporate as much of that as was appropriate. I got a lot of correspondence through my Web site from fans, and one of them said, "Would you make sure that Gandalf wears boots? I don't want to see him in any pointed shoes." They must have been referring to some illustration from one of the book illustrations. So I took that idea to the designer, and so Gandalf got to wear boots.” (SciFi  Weekly)

His spectacular portrayal as Gandalf earned him the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Supporting Actor, and a nomination for the Academy Award .

Sir Ian: “I can't be everybody's Gandalf, I have to be the Gandalf that belongs in this particular movie and he comes out of myself, out of the script, and out of my response to it. If that Gandalf happens to accord with every other people's Gandalf, I shall be delighted." – Lotr Official Movie Guide