Ian McKellen
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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ian McKellen, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · The Critic as Jimmy Erskine
- 2024 · ted as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Hamlet Within as
- 2021 · Infinitum: Subject Unknown as Dr. Charles Marland-White
- 2020 · Reunited Apart as Self
- 2019 · Cats as Gus, the Theatre Cat
- 2019 · The Good Liar as Roy Courtnay
- 2018 · All Is True as Earl of Southampton
- 2017 · Animal Crackers as Horatio P. Huntington (voice)
- 2017 · Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth
- 2017 · The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin as Self
- 2016 · Shakespeare on Stage, Screen and Elsewhere with Ian McKellen as
- 2015 · The Dresser as Norman
- 2015 · Mr. Holmes as Sherlock Holmes
- 2014 · Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- 2014 · The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies as Gandalf the Grey
- 2014 · Trailblazer Honors as Self - Speaker
- 2014 · X-Men: Days of Future Past as Magneto
- 2014 · Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- 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 · The Wolverine as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (uncredited)
- 2013 · Vicious as Freddie Thornhill
- 2012 · Doctor Who: The Snowmen as The Great Intelligence (voice)
- 2012 · The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Gandalf the Grey
- 2011 · Perspectives as
- 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
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2007 · The Golden Compass as Iorek Byrnison (voice)
- 2007 · Stardust as Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self - Guest
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2006 · Flushed Away as The Toad (voice)
- 2006 · The One Show as Self - Guest
- 2006 · The Da Vinci Code as Sir Leigh Teabing
- 2006 · Doogal as Zebedee (voice)
- 2005 · Asylum as Dr. Peter Cleave
- 2005 · Neverwas as Gabriel Finch
- 2005 · Extras as Ian McKellen
- 2005 · Doctor Who as Voice of the Snowman
- 2005 · The Magic Roundabout as Zebedee (voice)
- 2004 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- 2004 · The Paul O'Grady Show as
- 2003 · The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as Gandalf
- 2003 · Real Time with Bill Maher as Self
- 2003 · X-Men: Premieres Around the World as Self
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as
- 2002 · The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as Gandalf
- 2002 · Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway as Self
- 2001 · The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as Gandalf
- 2000 · Now You See Him: 'The Invisible Man' Revealed! as Self
- 2000 · X-Men: The Mutant Watch as Self - 'Magneto'
- 2000 · Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man as Narrator (voice)
- 1999 · David Copperfield as Creakle
- 1999 · Family Guy as Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (voice)
- 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
- 1997 · Bent as Uncle Freddie
- 1997 · The View as Self - Guest
- 1995 · Restoration as Will Gates
- 1995 · Richard III as Richard III
- 1995 · Jack & Sarah as William
- 1995 · Cold Comfort Farm as Amos Starkadder
- 1994 · The Shadow as Dr. Reinhardt Lane
- 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
- 1993 · And the Band Played On as Bill Kraus
- 1993 · The Ballad of Little Jo as Percy Corcoran
- 1993 · Last Action Hero as Death
- 1989 · The Simpsons as Ian McKellen (voice)
- 1989 · Scandal as John Profumo
- 1988 · Windmills of the Gods as Chairman
- 1984 · Playing Shakespeare as
- 1983 · The Keep as Dr. Theodore Cuza
- 1982 · The Scarlet Pimpernel as Chauvelin
- 1981 · Pillar of Fire as Narrator
- 1978 · Armchair Thriller as Anthony Skipling
- 1978 · An Audience with... as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- 1974 · Playhouse as
- 1972 · Country Matters as David Masterman
- 1969 · Sesame Street as Himself
- 1969 · Alfred the Great as Roger
- 1966 · David Copperfield as David Copperfield
- 1965 · BBC Play of the Month as Captain Plume
- 1960 · Coronation Street as Mel Hutchwright
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- Future · A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King' as Self
- 2024 · Dragfox as Ginger Snap the Fox (Speaking)
- 2024 · Hamlet as Hamlet
- 2023 · The One Note Man as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Quintessentially British as Self
- 2021 · Hating Peter Tatchell as Self
- 2020 · Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU as
- 2019 · On Broadway as Self
- 2018 · National Theatre Live: King Lear as King Lear
- 2018 · McKellen: Playing the Part as Himself
- 2017 · The Paul O'Grady Story as Self
- 2017 · How a Kite Flies as Mr. Kite (voice)
- 2017 · Edmund the Magnificent as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 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
- 2015 · Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC as Self (archive footage)
- 2013 · Muse of Fire as Self
- 2008 · King Lear as King Lear
- 2007 · For the Love of God as The Jackdaw
- 2006 · X-Men: The Last Stand as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
- 2006 · Saint of 9/11 as Narrator
- 2005 · The Hobart Shakespeareans as Himself
- 2005 · Ringers: Lord of the Fans as Self
- 2005 · Eighteen as Jason Anders (voice)
- 2004 · Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!! as Self
- 2004 · Peter Tatchell: Just Who Does He Think He Is? as
- 2003 · The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision as Self
- 2003 · Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King as Self
- 2003 · The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men - Making X2 as
- 2003 · Churchill as Himself - Narrator (voice)
- 2003 · Film Collectibles: Capturing Movie Memories as Self
- 2001 · Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring as Self
- 2001 · A Passage to Middle-Earth: Making of 'Lord of the Rings' as Self
- 2001 · Quest for the Ring as Self
- 2000 · X-Men as Magneto
- 1996 · An Evening with Lily Savage as Self
- 1996 · Rasputin as Tsar Nicholas II
- 1994 · Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- 1993 · Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up as Narration (voice)
- 1989 · Countdown to War as Adolf Hitler
- 1985 · Plenty as Sir Andrew Charleson
- 1981 · Priest of Love as D.H. Lawrence
- 1979 · Macbeth as Macbeth
- 1969 · A Touch of Love as George
- Future · Amol Rajan Interviews as Self - Interviewed Guest
- 1965 · The Trial and Torture of Sir John Rampayne as Wolf
- Future · Untitled Anthony Hopkins Documentary as Self
- Future · Hamlet Revenant as
- 2024 · The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved as
- 2024 · The Life and Death of Lily Savage as Self
- 2022 · Amol Rajan Interviews Ian McKellen as Self
- 2021 · Great British Theatre as
- 2020 · Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet as
- 2016 · Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage as Self
- 2016 · National Theatre Live: No Man's Land as Spooner
- 2016 · Shakespeare on Film as
- 2016 · Play the Devil: Making Richard III as
- 2016 · The Roof as And Even Yet Another Fan
- 2014 · Nelson Mandela Redrawn as Self
- 2014 · Miss in Her Teens as The Prologue
- 2013 · The Egg Trick as Magician
- 2012 · London 2012: Paralympics Opening Ceremony as Self
- 2011 · Looking for Lowry as Himself
- 2011 · The Betty Driver Story as Self
- 2010 · Lady Grey London as
- 2010 · Small-Time Revolutionary as Hamish Miller (voice)
- 2009 · Theatreland as Himself
- 2007 · The Art of Breaking Character as Self
- 2003 · X2 as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
- 2003 · Evolution X - The Making of X-Men as
- 2003 · Émile as Emile
- 2001 · Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love as Narrator (voice)
- 1999 · The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale as Self
- 1997 · Surviving Friendly Fire as
- 1997 · A Bit Of Scarlet as Narrator
- 1994 · To Die For as Quilt Documentary Narrator (voice)
- 1994 · Stonewall 25: Global Voices of Pride and Protest as
- 1994 · David Macaulay: Roman City as Augustus Caesar (voice)
- 1992 · Gladio as Aldo Moro (voice)
- 1990 · Othello as Iago
- 1988 · Scarfe's Follies as
- 1985 · Zina as Kronfeld
- 1983 · Walter and June as Walter
- 1982 · Walter as Walter
- 1982 · Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare as
- 1979 · Every Good Boy Deserves Favour as Alexander Ivanov
- 1970 · Edward II as King Edward
- Future · Richard II as Richard II
- 1970 · The Tragedy of King Richard II as King Richard II
- Future · Billy And Dom Eat The World as Self
- 1972 · Hedda Gabler as George Tesman
- 1970 · Hamlet as Hamlet
- 1969 · The Promise as
- Future · Schadenfreude as Continuity Announcer
- Future · Marley as Scrooge (rumored)