Name
Ian McKellen
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1939-05-25 (87 years old)
Place of Birth
Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
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.
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Known For
8.444
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must ...
8.506
As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, an...
8.428
Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to de...
7.381
Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit enjoying his quiet life, is swept into an epic quest by Gandalf th...
7.338
Following Smaug's attack on Laketown, Bilbo and the dwarves try to defend Erebor's mountai...
7.535
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time p...
6.967
A live-action adaptation of Disney's version of the classic tale of a cursed prince and a ...
7.581
The Dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf have successfully escaped the Misty Mountains, and Bilbo ha...
6.735
A murder in Paris’ Louvre Museum and cryptic clues in some of Leonardo da Vinci’s most...
- 2001 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as Gandalf
- 2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as Gandalf
- 2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as Gandalf
- 2006 The Da Vinci Code as Sir Leigh Teabing
- 1998 Gods and Monsters as James Whale
- 2007 The Golden Compass as Iorek Byrnison (voice)
- 2007 Stardust as Narrator (voice)
- 1998 Swept from the Sea as Dr. James Kennedy
- 1995 Jack & Sarah as William
- 1993 And the Band Played On as Bill Kraus
- 1993 Six Degrees of Separation as Geoffrey
- 2005 Neverwas as Gabriel Finch
- 1995 Richard III as Richard III
- 2006 Flushed Away as The Toad (voice)
- 2020 Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU
- 1982 The Scarlet Pimpernel as Chauvelin
- 2006 Doogal as Zebedee (voice)
- 2005 Asylum as Dr. Peter Cleave
- 1994 The Shadow as Dr. Reinhardt Lane
- 1989 Scandal as John Profumo
- 1995 Cold Comfort Farm as Amos Starkadder
- 1998 Apt Pupil as Kurt Dussander
- 1993 Last Action Hero as Death
- 1983 The Keep as Dr. Theodore Cuza
- 1979 Macbeth as Macbeth
- 1985 Plenty as Sir Andrew Charleson
- 2022 Hamlet Within
- 2003 Emile as Emile
- 2000 X-Men as Magneto
- 2003 X2 as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
- 2006 X-Men: The Last Stand as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
- 1965 The Trial and Torture of Sir John Rampayne as Wolf
- 1996 An Evening with Lily Savage as Self
- 2008 King Lear as King Lear
- 2005 The Magic Roundabout as Zebedee (voice)
- 2000 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man as Narrator (voice)
- 1996 Rasputin as Tsar Nicholas II
- 2012 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Gandalf the Grey
- 1981 Priest of Love as D.H. Lawrence
- 1992 Gladio as Aldo Moro (voice)
- 1997 Bent as Uncle Freddie
- 1993 The Ballad of Little Jo as Percy Corcoran
- 1969 Alfred the Great as Roger
- 2013 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug as Gandalf the Grey
- 1982 Walter as Walter
- 2000 Now You See Him: 'The Invisible Man' Revealed! as Self
- 2006 Saint of 9/11 as Narrator
- 2014 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies as Gandalf the Grey
- 2025 Schadenfreude as Continuity Announcer
- 2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past as Magneto
- 2012 London 2012: Paralympics Opening Ceremony as Self
- 1969 A Touch of Love as George
- 2009 Theatreland as Self
- 1994 To Die For as Quilt Documentary Narrator (voice)
- 1997 Surviving Friendly Fire
- 1983 Walter and June as Walter
- 2013 Muse of Fire as Self
- 1979 Every Good Boy Deserves Favour as Alexander Ivanov
- 1997 A Bit Of Scarlet as Narrator
- 1982 Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare
- 2024 The Critic as Jimmy Erskine
- 2001 Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love as Narrator (voice)
- 2014 Miss in Her Teens as The Prologue
- 1990 Othello as Iago
- 1985 Zina as Kronfeld
- 2007 For the Love of God as The Jackdaw
- 2023 The One Note Man as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film as Prospero's Speech Reader (voice)
- 2024 Hamlet as Hamlet
- 2015 Mr. Holmes as Sherlock Holmes
- 2004 Peter Tatchell: Just Who Does He Think He Is?
- 1993 Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up as Narration (voice)
- 1994 Stonewall 25: Global Voices of Pride and Protest as Self
- 1994 I'll Do Anything as John Earl McAlpine
- 2013 The Wolverine as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (uncredited)
- 2013 The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot as Self
- 2018 Animal Crackers as Horatio P. Huntington (voice)
- 1970 Hamlet as Hamlet
- 2005 The Hobart Shakespeareans as Self
- Soon Untitled Anthony Hopkins Documentary as Self
- 2022 Quintessentially British as Self
- 2014 Nelson Mandela Redrawn as Self
- 2011 Looking for Lowry as Self
- 2015 Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC as Self (archive footage)
- 2024 The Life and Death of Lily Savage as Self
- 2015 The Dresser as Norman
- 2012 Doctor Who: The Snowmen as The Great Intelligence (voice)
- 2017 Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth
- 1970 Edward II as King Edward
- 2024 The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved
- 2016 Shakespeare Live! From the RSC as Self - Performer
- 1969 The Promise
- 2004 A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King' as Self
- 2003 Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King as Self
- 1995 Restoration as Will Gates
- 1972 Hedda Gabler as George Tesman
- 2024 Dragfox as Ginger Snap the Fox (Speaking) (voice)
- 2016 The Roof as And Even Yet Another Fan
- 2003 Evolution X - The Making of X-Men
- 2003 The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men! Making X2 as Self
- 2007 The Art of Breaking Character as Self
- 2016 Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage as Self
- 2016 National Theatre Live: No Man's Land as Spooner
- 2003 X-Men: Premieres Around the World as Self
- 2001 Quest for the Ring as Self
- 2001 Passage to Middle-Earth: The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings' as Self
- 2010 A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin as Self
- 2019 The Good Liar as Roy Courtnay
- 2011 The Betty Driver Story as Self
- 2017 The Paul O'Grady Story as Self
- 2018 McKellen: Playing the Part as Self
- 2019 Cats as Gus, the Theatre Cat
- 2018 National Theatre Live: King Lear as King Lear
- 2004 Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!! as Self
- 2018 All Is True as Earl of Southampton
- 1994 David Macaulay: Roman City as Augustus Caesar (voice)
- 2003 The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision as Self
- 2017 Edmund the Magnificent as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2017 How a Kite Flies as Mr. Kite (voice)
- 2001 Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring as Self
- 1999 The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale as Self
- 2013 The Egg Trick as Magician
- 2021 Hating Peter Tatchell as Self
- 2005 Eighteen as Jason Anders (voice)
- 2010 Small-Time Revolutionary as Hamish Miller (voice)
- 2005 Ringers: Lord of the Fans as Self
- 1970 The Tragedy of King Richard II as King Richard II
- 1989 Countdown to War as Adolf Hitler
- 2013 The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin as Self
- 2016 Play the Devil: Making Richard III
- 2016 Shakespeare on Stage, Screen and Elsewhere with Ian McKellen
- 2016 Shakespeare on Film
- 2000 X-Men: The Mutant Watch as Self - 'Magneto'
- 2021 Infinitum: Subject Unknown as Dr. Charles Marland-White
- 2020 Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet
- 2019 On Broadway as Self
- 1988 Scarfe's Follies
- 1993 Camp Christmas
- 2026 The Christophers as Julian Sklar
- 2006 The Making of 'The Two Towers' as Self
- 2006 The Making of 'The Return of the King' as Self
- 1987 Süleyman the Magnificent as Narrator
- 2022 Freedom: 50 Years of Pride as Self
- 2025 Ken Dodd: A Legacy of Happiness
- 2026 Avengers: Doomsday as Magneto
- 2025 Dragged Through Time
- 1999 After Stonewall as Self
- Soon No Man's Land as Spooner
- 1980 Dying Day as Antony Skipling
- 2025 A World War II Fairy Tale: The Making of Michael Mann's 'The Keep' as Self (archive footage)
- 2007 Guerrilla Distribution as Self
- 2027 The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum as Gandalf
- 1974 Graceless Go I as Tony
- 2004 My First Time as Narrator
- 2026 Ebenezer as Jacob Marley
- Soon Frank and Percy as Percy
- 1994 Age of Dissent as Self
- 1972 Craven Arms as David Masterman
- 2026 LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes as L S Lowry
- 1993 A Simple Matter of Justice as Self
- 2002 The Fellowship of the Ring: From Book to Script as Self
- 2002 The Fellowship of the Ring: Designing and Building Middle-earth + Weta Workshop + Costume Design as Self
- 2002 The Fellowship of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Cast as Self
- 2002 The Fellowship of the Ring: Cameras in Middle-earth as Self
- 2002 The Fellowship of the Ring: Scale as Self
- 2002 The Fellowship of the Ring: The Road Goes Ever On.. as Self
- 2014 Double Take: Xavier & Magneto as Self
- 2006 Brett Ratner's X-Diaries as Self
- 2006 X3: The Excitement Continues as Self
- 2026 Tea with Judi Dench featuring Ian McKellen as Self
- 1995 Thin Ice as Ian McKellen
- 1994 Inside the Actors Studio ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1989 The Simpsons ( 1 episode ) as Ian McKellen (voice)
- 2003 Jimmy Kimmel Live! ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2006 The One Show ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 1997 The View ( 2 episodes ) as Self - Guest
- 2002 Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2004 The Paul O'Grady Show ( 1 episode )
- 1965 BBC Play of the Month ( 1 episode ) as Captain Plume
- 1953 The Oscars ( 3 episodes ) as Self
- 2003 Churchill ( 3 episodes ) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2013 Vicious ( 12 episodes ) as Freddie Thornhill
- 2004 Who Do You Think You Are? ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2005 Extras ( 1 episode ) as Ian McKellen
- 1975 Saturday Night Live ( 1 episode ) as Self - Host
- 1978 An Audience with... ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2021 Great British Theatre ( 5 episodes )
- 1999 David Copperfield ( 2 episodes ) as Creakle
- 1988 Windmills of the Gods ( 2 episodes ) as Chairman
- 1984 Playing Shakespeare ( 9 episodes )
- 1969 Sesame Street ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2014 Trailblazer Honors ( 1 episode ) as Self - Speaker
- 2024 ted ( 3 episodes ) as Narrator (voice)
- 2014 Late Night with Seth Meyers ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 2007 The Graham Norton Show ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 2009 The Prisoner ( 6 episodes ) as 2 / Curtis
- 1993 Tales of the City ( 2 episodes ) as Archibald Anson Gidde
- 2007 The Graham Norton Show ( 9 episodes ) as Self
- 2009 Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (voice)
- 2003 Real Time with Bill Maher ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 2020 Reunited Apart ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1960 Coronation Street ( 14 episodes ) as Mel Hutchwright
- 2011 Perspectives ( 1 episode )
- 2021 Amol Rajan Interviews ( 1 episode ) as Self - Interviewed Guest
- 1981 Pillar of Fire ( 20 episodes ) as Narrator
- 1998 Parkinson ( 3 episodes ) as Self
- 1990 Have I Got News for You ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2014 Variety Studio: Actors on Actors ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1944 Golden Globe Awards ( 1 episode ) as Self - Presenter
- 2025 Billy & Dom Eat the World ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1967 Omnibus ( 1 episode ) as Self - Reading Poetry
- 1974 Playhouse ( 1 episode ) as Alexander
- 1965 BBC Play of the Month ( 1 episode ) as Simon Bliss
- 1965 BBC Play of the Month ( 1 episode ) as Ross / T.E. Lawrence
- 1965 BBC Play of the Month ( 1 episode ) as George Tesman
- 1966 David Copperfield ( 9 episodes ) as David Copperfield
- 1994 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1964 The Wednesday Play ( 1 episode ) as Wolf
- 1944 Golden Globe Awards ( 1 episode ) as Self - Winner
- 2015 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 1993 Late Night with Conan O'Brien ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 2015 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1997 HARDtalk ( 1 episode )
- 1972 Country Matters ( 1 episode ) as David Masterman
- 1993 Late Show with David Letterman ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 1956 Tony Awards ( 1 episode ) as Self - Winner
- 1967 ITV Playhouse ( 1 episode ) as Tony
- 1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Lyov
- 1970 Solo ( 1 episode )
- 1971 Film '72 ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2010 The Talk ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1982 American Playhouse ( 1 episode ) as Archibald Anson Gidde
- 1996 TFI Friday ( 1 episode )
