Ian Mckellen
Ian Mckellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBEis an English actor. He is the recipient of six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BIF Award, two Saturn Awards, four Drama Desk Awards and two Critics' Choice Awards. He has also received two Academy Award nominations, four BAFTA nominations and five Emmy Award nominations...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth25 May 1939
CityBurnley, England
saving time
'Lord of the Rings' was about saving the world, big time, big duties.
regional repertory theaters
When I left Cambridge, I applied to regional repertory theaters in the U.K. and got accepted by one of them... And here I am, still at it.
appeared enjoyed
When I appeared in 'Coronation Street,' I lived in Manchester and enjoyed it very much.
enjoyed people seen work
There are people who've enjoyed my work in the theater, and they let me know that it was special for them. I'm not going to say, 'Well, you should have seen me as Gandalf!'
When I've been asked what should be on my gravestone, I've said: 'Here lies Gandalf. He came out.' Two big achievements.
admiring flattering including laurence life people rather spent tremendous
There are some tremendous actors in the U.K. who have been knighted, and I've spent much of my life admiring many of them, like Laurence Olivier. So it's very flattering to be in their company. But you also end up in the company of people you don't admire, including some rather dodgy politicians.
hope left life stage
I still hope I've got a lot of life left on stage and making films.
audiences people
People on television have trouble with fame because audiences think they're their mates.
came days remember saying sorry tom
I remember Tom Stoppard saying to me when I came out, 'I feel so sorry for you, because you'll never have children.' These days I would say, 'Well, why not, Tom?'
absolutely required shakespeare suddenly utter
I think with Shakespeare you can be required to do absolutely anything at the turn of a sixpence - suddenly you go into a battle, suddenly you utter something passionate.
chance invariably order putting routines time
I have little routines in the theater. Once I've established something, like the order of putting on makeup and a costume, I have to invariably do it in the same order every time, even if I only did it by chance the first time round.
peter
If I say often enough that I'm going to be in 'King Kong,' I'm hoping that Peter Jackson will take the hint.
guess
If I was a star, it would be difficult to go off and do 'Coronation Street.' So I guess I'm not a star.
imagine life pull single straight totally
There are still times in my life where I pull back from being totally honest, and I can't imagine a single straight person who would understand that.