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
illegal man time
I was a shy gay man at a time when it was illegal to be gay.
acting constant side time work worry
Every time you work is a challenge. There's a constant worry about it, and it's a side of acting I don't like.
absolute car case ducks recognized time wears
I'm not someone who wears shades all the time and ducks into a darkened car in case I'm recognized - that would be absolute misery.
analysis lear supposed time understanding
I used to think 'King Lear' was an analysis of insanity, but I don't really think it is. When Lear is supposed to be at his most insane, he is actually understanding the world for the first time.
saving time
'Lord of the Rings' was about saving the world, big time, big duties.
allowed extremely later leading movies parts popular situation time worry
To be allowed for the first time in your later career to play leading parts in extremely popular movies is not a situation to worry about.
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.
playing
When I was playing Gandalf, I didn't think, 'Oh my dear, I'm playing a 7,000 year old wizard,' because I've never met one, and I don't know what they're like.
deaths public
There are deaths in public places on the grounds that the victim is gay.
There are some fantastic parts for older actors.
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.