Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) McKellen in 2019 | |
| Born | Ian Murray McKellen 25 May 1939[1] Burnley, Lancashire, England |
| Education | St Catharine's College, Cambridge (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Partners |
|
| Website | mckellen |
Sir Ian Murray McKellen CH CBE (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has had a Tony Award and two Oscar nominations.
Life[change | change source]
McKellen was born on 25 May 1939 in Burnley, Lancashire. In 1939, he moved to Wigan. In 1951, he moved to Bolton.
His work has spanned genres from serious Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction movies.
In a television movie role in 1970 titled Edward II, he and his co-star, James Laurenson kissed in British television's first gay kiss.[2]
Best known for his roles as Gandalf in the 2001-2003 Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, as Sir Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code, and as Magneto in the X-Men series of movies. He appeared in The Hobbit movie series.
He is openly gay and is a prominent activist for the rights of LGBT people. He said that the reason why he took the role in the X-Men movies was because of his sexuality.[3] He said: "Mutants are like gays. They’re cast out by society for no good reason".[3]
He was made a CBE in 1979 and knighted in 1990 for his outstanding work and contributions to the theatre. In 2008 he was made a Companion of Honour.
McKellen said in 2012 that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006.[4]
McKellen once signed an autograph to a fan stating "Fuck off, I’m gay." The person given the autograph was politician Michael Howard.[5]
Movies[change | change source]
- Apt Pupil (1998)
- Gods and Monsters (1998)
- X-Men (2000)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- X2: X-Men United (2003)
- Emile (2005)
- Asylum (2005)
- The Magic Roundabout (2005)
- Flushed Away (2006)
- The Da Vinci Code (2006)
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
- The Good Liar (2019)
- Cats (2019)
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1208. 25 May 2012. p. 21.
- ↑ "Video: Sir Ian McKellen on Edward II and British TV's first gay kiss". BFI.org. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sieczkowski, Cavan (27 February 2014). "Ian McKellen Took 'X-Men' Role Because Of Gay Rights Parallel". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ↑ Meredith, Charlotte (11 December 2012). "Ian McKellen is battling prostate cancer". Daily Express.
- ↑ "10 things we didn't know this time last week". BBC. 14 November 2003. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007.
Other websites[change | change source]
- The papers of Sir Ian McKellen, actor are held by the Victoria and Albert Museum Theatre and Performance Department.
- Ian McKellen at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ian McKellen on IMDb
- Biography of Sir Ian McKellen, CH, CBE, Debrett's
This short article about an actor or group of actors can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.- 1939 births
- Living people
- Actors from Greater Manchester
- Actors from Lancashire
- Alumni of the University of Cambridge
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Companions of Honour
- Drama Desk Award winners
- English LGBT people
- English movie actors
- English stage actors
- English television actors
- English voice actors
- Gay men
- Golden Globe Award winning actors
- Knights Bachelor
- LGBT actors
- British LGBT rights activists
- People from Bolton
- Saturn Award winners
- Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Tony Award winning actors
- Wigan