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Name:	Ian Mckellen
Nickname:	Sir Ian McKellen
Birth name:	Ian Murray McKellen
Birth place:	Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
Birthday:	25.05.1939
Weight:	Unknown
Height:	1.80 cm
Natural hair color:	grey
Eyes color:	blue
Education:	Cambridge University
Residence:	England
Nationality:	British
Ethnicity:	white

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Ian Mckellen
Ian Mckellen Biography (1 documents)
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Quotes

"On his first theatre experience, "Peter Pan": "I wasn't over-impressed. For one thing it wasn't a real crocodile and I could see the wires".

"I think it's one thing to declare your sexuality, if you care about what that is. It's another thing to start talking in public about what you do in private and who you do it with. It's not that they [my significant others] don't want to be identified as gay, but that they don't want to be identified as ... with me."

"Many unthinking people just don't like the idea of gays joining in their games, nor in the military and, it would seem, in the movies."

"When I, as Gandalf, meet Bilbo or Frodo at home, I bump my head on the rafters. Tolkien didn't think to mention it."

"I am encouraged by the theatricality of Tolkien's readings - full of rhythm and humour and characterisation. Without question Gandalf is like Tolkien but then so, I suspected, are Frodo and Aragorn."

"I've had enough of being a gay icon! I've had enough of all this hard work, because, since I came out, I keep getting all these parts, and my career's taken off. I want a quiet life. I'm going back into the closet. But I can't get back into the closet, because it's absolutely jam-packed full of other actors."

"I ... think of the Bible as great literature rather than great history; great imagination rather than reliable witness. Whatever, it is not as a law book that I respect the Bible."

"Acting is no longer about lying. It's now about revealing the truth. People are at ease with me now. Honesty is the best policy."

"The Lord of the Rings is a mythology, it is a fairy tale, it's an adventure story. It never happened. Except somewhere in our hearts."

"It wasn't exactly a mistake, but if there's anything I regret, it's probably having disguised my own native accent. Actors of my generation all tended to speak RP [received pronunciation]. Of course, it's all different now and drama students are encouraged to keep their regional accents and be able to do RP when required. Even at the BBC these days there's no standardised accent, and I rather think that's a good thing."

[about the cheering fans outside the InterContinentel Hotel, where he was staying in Wellington, New Zealand:] "It's like several Christmases all come at once. They all love Gandalf, but I'm like Father Christmas in the shop. I'm not the real one." [December 5, 2003]

[on initially thinking it crazy to release the LOTR trilogy 12 months apart:] "I thought people wouldn't remember what happened a year ago. But I hadn't factored that they would be so successful at the box office, and that so many people would buy the DVD and videos in between the release of each film. I had thought the whole enterprise was doomed, because of the release pattern. I'm very happy to have been proved wrong." [December 5, 2003]

Trivia

He was knighted in 1990.

He played the vampire in the video for "Heart" by the Pet Shop Boys.

Originated the role of Antonio Saleri in the Broadway production of "Amadeus."

He had a tattoo of the Elvish character for 9 along with all the other members of the fellowship in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).

Is a vegetarian.

Played an ex-Nazi soldier in Apt Pupil, and an ex-Jewish prisoner in X-Men.

Was offered the part of Mission Commander Swanbeck in Mission: Impossible II (2000). He was not able to accept the role, due to a prior theatre engagement in London. The part eventually went to Anthony Hopkins.

Appointed CBE in 1979.

Played Maggie Smith in a "Weekend Update" skit on an episode of Saturday Night Live that he hosted.

While being a guest on Jay Leno (December 26, 2003). Ian said that he had not seen X2 when it opened in theaters, he only saw it when the DVD hit the stores. He then called up Bryan Singer and asked "Is there going to be X-Men 3?" Bryan replied "Yes". In excitement Ian got Bryan Singer 6 movie tickets to go see Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

According to an interview, one of the last things Margaret Thatcher did as Prime Minister was to recommend him for a knighthood.

The original Lord of the Rings books, and X-Men comics, both feature a character named Sauron, and a book entitled "The Return of the King." The X-Men graphic novel The Return of the King is, appropriately, about the return of Magneto.

He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1985 (1984 season) for Best Actor in a Revival for Wild Honey.

He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1991 (1990 season) for Best Actor in Richard III at the Royal National Theatre.

Before performing the role of Gandalf, he listened to a recording of Tolkien reading Gandalf lines from the novel. He used this a base for creating the character, and imitated the accent used by Tolkien in the recording.

Began acting as a means of escape from mourning after his mother's death and constant bullying at school from fellow students.

He was awarded the 1989 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in Othello.

He was awarded the 1984 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in Coriolanus.

He was awarded the 1989 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actor for his performance in Othello.

Graduated with a 2:2 in English from Cambridge University.

Studied with Sir Derek Jacobi, with whom he was "desperately in love'", confessed on 'Inside the Actors' Studio.'

Originally aspired to be a journalist.

Shares his middle name, Murray, with both Michael Murray Hordern, his predecessor in the role of Gandalf, and F. Murray Abraham, his successor in the role of Antonio Salieri.

Was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford Upon Avon, England.

Wore a prosthetic nose to play Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Has played cult characters in two of the biggest franchises; he played Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Magneto in the X-Men series.

Was set to play Antonio in Michael Radford's adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (2004), but had to drop at the last minute due to scheduling conflicts.

Won Broadway's 1981 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for originating the role of Antonio Salieri in "Amadeus." He was nominated in the same category in 1984 for "Ian McKellen Acting Shakespeare."

He used the phrase "old friend" in both the X-Men and The Lord of the Rings film series. In both cases (to Christopher Lee as Saurman in the Lord of the Rings and Patrick Stewart as Xavier in X-Men) it is said to an ally who has become a nemesis and "old friend" is said mockingly.

Has worked with two Faramirs. Prior to appearing in The Lord of the Rings films with David Wenham, he appeared in the film Plenty, with Andrew Seear. Seear played Faramir in the BBC radio adaptation, opposite Ian Holm.

He said that appeal of the X-Men films to him was the concept of mutants being shunned, something he says he identifies with as he was repeatedly shunned as an open homosexual.

Was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the same time as Patrick Stewart.

Like his Da Vinci Code character, Sir Leigh Teabing, he has been knighted. As such, prior to being cast, he spotted two errors in the book's portrayal of Kinghthood. Knights neither receive ID badges nor are granted any of the special privileges Teabing demands as a result of Knighthood.

Has appeared with Bruce Davison in four different films: Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Apt Pupil (1998), X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003). The first of these is the only one not directed by Bryan Singer.

Turned down the role of Professor Albus Dumbledoor in Harry Potter and The Prizoner of Azkaban

Only performer to receive an acting Academy Award nomination for Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Ring"-Triology