Ian McKellen
English film, stage and television actor Ian McKellen was cast for the role as "Gandalf" in the popular Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Fast Facts
- Born: May 5, 1939
- Birthplace: Burnley, Lancashire, England
- Years active: 1965-present
- 1991: Was knighted for his theatrical achievements
Life and Career
Ian McKellen has had an expansive career that has spread across film, television and theater. He was born in Lancashire, England and raised in Wigan. His mother died when he was 12, and his father died when he was 24.
He attended the University of Cambridge for his college studies, and after completion of that he moved to London where he sought a career as an actor.
After a number of stage successes, McKellen began appearing in films. The 1990s proved to be the decade when he would break into the popular realm, starring in such films as Six Degrees of Separation and Richard III. However, it was his decision to take on the roles of "Gandalf" in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and "Magneto" in the X-Men trilogy that ultimately sent him into the highest level of recognition from audiences.
Quotes
- "I have been to many Pride occasions across the World, from being Grand Marshall in San Francisco to the first ever gay march in Johannesburg in post-apartheid South Africa. Wherever gay people gather publicly to celebrate their sense of community, there are two important results. First, onlookers can be impressed by our confidence and determination to be ourselves and, second, gay people, of whatever age, can be comforted by the occasion to take first steps towards coming out and leaving the closet forever behind."
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