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Ian McKellen

Acting

Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen is an actor born on May 25, 1939 in Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK. He is known for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. GloboWatch shows where to watch 3 of his movies and TV shows, country by country.

Known for
Acting
Born
May 25, 1939
Place of birth
Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
Also known as
Sir Ian McKellen · Sir Ian Murray McKellen · Ian McKellern

Biography

Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played 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 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 received 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, Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (2017) 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), Flushed Away (2006), 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.

Filmography

  1. 2026The Christophersas Julian Sklar
  2. 2024The Criticas Jimmy Erskine
  3. 2024tedas Narrator (voice) · 3 episodes
  4. 2021Infinitum: Subject Unknownas Dr. Charles Marland-White
  5. 2019Catsas Gus, the Theatre Cat
  6. 2019The Good Liaras Roy Courtnay
  7. 2018All Is Trueas Earl of Southampton
  8. 2018Animal Crackersas Horatio P. Huntington (voice)
  9. 2017Beauty and the Beastas Cogsworth
  10. 2015The Dresseras Norman
  11. 2015Mr. Holmesas Sherlock Holmes
  12. 2014The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armiesas Gandalf the Grey
  13. 2014X-Men: Days of Future Pastas Magneto
  14. 2013The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaugas Gandalf the Grey
  15. 2013The Five(ish) Doctors Rebootas Self
  16. 2013The Wolverineas Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (uncredited)
  17. 2013Viciousas Freddie Thornhill · 12 episodes
  18. 2012Doctor Who: The Snowmenas The Great Intelligence (voice)
  19. 2012The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeyas Gandalf the Grey
  20. 2009The Prisoneras 2 / Curtis · 6 episodes
  21. 2007The Golden Compassas Iorek Byrnison (voice)
  22. 2007Stardustas Narrator (voice)
  23. 2006Flushed Awayas The Toad (voice)
  24. 2006X-Men: The Last Standas Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
  25. 2006The Da Vinci Codeas Sir Leigh Teabing
  26. 2006Doogalas Zebedee (voice)
  27. 2005Neverwasas Gabriel Finch
  28. 2005Asylumas Dr. Peter Cleave
  29. 2005Extrasas Ian McKellen · 1 episode
  30. 2005The Magic Roundaboutas Zebedee (voice)
  31. 2003The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingas Gandalf
  32. 2003X2as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
  33. 2002The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towersas Gandalf
  34. 2001The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringas Gandalf
  35. 2000X-Menas Magneto
  36. 2000X-Men: The Mutant Watchas Self - 'Magneto'
  37. 1999David Copperfieldas Creakle · 2 episodes
  38. 1999Family Guyas Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (voice) · 1 episode
  39. 1998Apt Pupilas Kurt Dussander
  40. 1998Gods and Monstersas James Whale
  41. 1998Swept from the Seaas Dr. James Kennedy
  42. 1997Bentas Uncle Freddie
  43. 1996Rasputinas Tsar Nicholas II
  44. 1995Richard IIIas Richard III · Screenplay · Executive producer
  45. 1995Restorationas Will Gates
  46. 1995Jack & Sarahas William
  47. 1995Cold Comfort Farmas Amos Starkadder
  48. 1994The Shadowas Dr. Reinhardt Lane
  49. 1994I'll Do Anythingas John Earl McAlpine
  50. 1993Six Degrees of Separationas Geoffrey
  51. 1993And the Band Played Onas Bill Kraus
  52. 1993Last Action Heroas Death
  53. 1989The Simpsonsas Ian McKellen (voice) · 1 episode
  54. 1989Scandalas John Profumo
  55. 1985Plentyas Sir Andrew Charleson
  56. 1983The Keepas Dr. Theodore Cuza
  57. 1982The Scarlet Pimpernelas Chauvelin
  58. 1969Sesame Streetas Self · 1 episode
  59. 1960Coronation Streetas Mel Hutchwright · 14 episodes
  60. 1953The Oscarsas Self · 3 episodes