Ian McKellen

In 1990, McKellen embarked on a world tour with a highly praised revival of Richard III playing the title character. The production, which played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and continued its tour, earned favorable reviews.


Frank Rich of The New York Times commended McKellen's highly sophisticated sense of theatre and fun and praised how he revealed the secrets of manipulating his victims, whether addressing the audience in a soliloquy or not. For his performance, McKellen received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.


Moving into the early 1990s, McKellen continued to diversify his roles. In 1992, he starred in Pam Gems's revival of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya at the Royal National Theatre alongside Antony Sher and Janet McTeer.


The following year, he appeared in the film Six Degrees of Separation , based on the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-nominated play of the same name. McKellen shared the screen with Will Smith, Donald Sutherland, and Stockard Channing, and the film received critical acclaim.


In 1995, McKellen made his screenwriting debut with Richard III, an ambitious adaptation of William Shakespeare's play directed by Richard Loncraine. The film reimagines the story and characters in a 1930s Britain setting, depicting Richard as a fascist plotting to usurp the throne. McKellen, who also starred in the title role, received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor and won the European Film Award for Best Actor. His screenplay was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.


In the same year, McKellen appeared in the historical drama Restoration and the British romantic comedy Jack and Sarah. He showcased his versatility by taking on various roles, displaying his ability to tackle both dramatic and comedic genres.


Beyond film, McKellen continued to make impactful contributions to television. In 1993, he appeared in minor roles in the television miniseries Tales of the City and the HBO television film And the Band Played On, earning recognition for his performance as gay rights activist Bill Kraus.

Throughout the late 1990s, McKellen remained active in both film and theater, portraying diverse characters and garnering critical acclaim for his performances.


In 1999, McKellen embraced the role of the comic book supervillain Magneto in Bryan Singer's film X-Men. The success of the film led to his reprisal of the character in the sequels Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand. His portrayal of Magneto continued in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past, where he shared the role with Michael Fassbender, who played a younger version of the character in X-Men: First Class.


While filming the first X-Men movie in 1999, McKellen took on another iconic role as the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The trilogy, consisting of The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers , and The Return of the King, earned McKellen accolades.


He won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Fellowship of the Ring and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the same role. McKellen also provided the voice of Gandalf for various video game adaptations of the Lord of the Rings films.


In 2001, McKellen made a return to the Broadway stage in August Strindberg's play The Dance of Death, alongside Helen Mirren and David Strathairn at the Broadhurst Theatre. His performance received acclaim, with The New York Times praising his heroic stage presence, actorly intelligence, and rarefied theatrical technique. He later toured with the production in London's West End and the Sydney Arts Festival in Australia.


McKellen showcased his versatility by appearing in various projects, including hosting Saturday Night Live in March 2002 and making a guest appearance as himself on the British-themed episode of The Simpsons in 2003, titled The Regina Monologues. In 2005, he fulfilled a lifelong ambition by playing the role of Mel Hutchwright in the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. Additionally, he narrated Richard Bell's film Eighteen, portraying a grandfather who leaves his World War II memoirs on audio-cassette for his teenage grandson.


In 1999, McKellen took on the role of the comic book supervillain Magneto in Bryan Singer's film X-Men and reprised the character in its sequels . His portrayal of Magneto continued in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past, where he shared the role with Michael Fassbender, who played a younger version of the character in 2011's .


While filming the first X-Men movie, McKellen was simultaneously cast as the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The trilogy, consisting of The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers , and The Return of the King , became a monumental success.


McKellen won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Fellowship of the Ring and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the same role. He also provided the voice of Gandalf for various video game adaptations of the Lord of the Rings films.


In 2001, McKellen returned to Broadway in August Strindberg's play The Dance of Death, alongside Helen Mirren and David Strathairn at the Broadhurst Theatre. His performance received acclaim from critics, praising his heroic stage presence and theatrical technique. The play also toured in London's West End and at the Sydney Arts Festival in Australia.


McKellen continued his diverse career, making a guest appearance as himself on the American cartoon show The Simpson in a special British-themed episode entitled The Regina Monologues. He hosted Saturday Night Live in March 2002. Additionally, he took on the role of Sir Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code opposite Tom Hanks.


In response to discussions about whether the film should have a disclaimer about being a work of fiction, McKellen shared his perspective, suggesting that the Bible itself could use a disclaimer for being a work of fiction.


His versatility was showcased in various projects, including a guest appearance in Ricky Gervais's comedy series Extras , where he played himself directing Gervais's character in a play about gay lovers. McKellen received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance.


In 2007, he narrated the romantic fantasy adventure film Stardust and lent his voice to the armored bear Iorek Byrnison in the fantasy film The Golden Compass.

References

1.  "LGBT History Month 2007 PreLaunch". LGBT History Month. 20 November 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
2. ^ Jump up to:
3. a b "Aim High". the Lesbian & Gay Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
4. ^ Barratt 2006, p. 1.
5. ^ Stern/CompuWeb, Keith. "Sir Ian McKellen Personal Bio – Prior to launch of his website". www.mckellen.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
6. ^ Jump up to:
7. a b c d "Ian McKellen From the Beginning". Ian McKellen Official Website. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2014.