Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen

84 · Born: May 25, 1939

2021
2019
2017
2015

Personal Details

Official Socials
Born May 25, 1939 Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
Parents
  • Denis Murray McKellen
  • Margery Lois Sutcliffe
Relatives
  • Jean McKellen (Sibling)

Biography

Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE (born May 25, 1939) is 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, eight BAFTA film and TV nominations and five Emmy Award nominations. McKellen's work spans genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. His notable film roles include Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and Magneto in the X-Men films.

Career

2024
Hamlet
Hamlet as Hamlet
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2023
The One Note Man
The One Note Man as Narrator (voice)
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The Critic
The Critic as Jimmy Erskine
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2021
Infinitum: Subject Unknown
Infinitum: Subject Unknown as Dr. Charles Marland-White
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Great British Theatre
2019
The Good Liar
The Good Liar as Roy Courtnay
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Cats
Cats as Gus, the Theatre Cat
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2018
All Is True
All Is True as Earl of Southampton
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National Theatre Live: King Lear
National Theatre Live: King Lear as King Lear
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2017
How a Kite Flies
How a Kite Flies as Mr. Kite (voice)
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Animal Crackers
Animal Crackers as Horatio P. Huntington (voice)
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Family Guy
Family Guy as Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (voice)
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2016
The Roof
The Roof as And Even Yet Another Fan
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2015
Mr. Holmes
Mr. Holmes as Sherlock Holmes
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The Dresser
The Dresser as Norman
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Muslim Drag Queens
Muslim Drag Queens as Narrator
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2014
Miss in Her Teens
Miss in Her Teens as The Prologue
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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
X-Men: Days of Future Past
X-Men: Days of Future Past as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
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2013
The Egg Trick
The Egg Trick as Magician
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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Vicious
Vicious as Freddie Thornhill
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2012
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Gandalf
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2010
A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation
A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation as Narrator (voice)
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Small-Time Revolutionary
Small-Time Revolutionary as Hamish Miller (voice)
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2009
The Prisoner
The Prisoner as 2 / Curtis
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2008
King Lear
King Lear as King Lear
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2007
The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass as Iorek Byrnison (voice)
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Stardust
Stardust as Narrator (voice)
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For the Love of God
For the Love of God as The Jackdaw
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2006
Flushed Away
Flushed Away as The Toad (voice)
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X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
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The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code as Sir Leigh Teabing
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Saint of 9/11
Saint of 9/11 as Narrator
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Doogal
Doogal as Zebedee (voice)
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Extras
Extras as Ian McKellen
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2005
Eighteen
Eighteen as Jason Anders (voice)
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Neverwas
Neverwas as Gabriel Finch
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Arena
Arena as Narrator
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Asylum
Asylum as Dr. Peter Cleave
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The Magic Roundabout: The Movie
The Magic Roundabout: The Movie as Zebedee (voice)
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Coronation Street
Coronation Street as Mel Hutchwright
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2003
Emile
Emile as Emile
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X2
X2 as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
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2002
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2001
Larry and Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
Larry and Vivien: The Oliviers in Love as Narrator (voice)
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2000
Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man
Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man as Narrator (voice)
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X-Men
X-Men as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
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1999
David Copperfield
David Copperfield as Creakle
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1998
Swept from the Sea
Swept from the Sea as Dr. James Kennedy
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Gods and Monsters
Gods and Monsters as James Whale
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Apt Pupil
Apt Pupil as Kurt Dussander
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1997
Surviving Friendly Fire
Bent
Bent as Uncle Freddie
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A Bit of Scarlet
A Bit of Scarlet as Narrator
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1996
Rasputin
Rasputin as Tsar Nicholas II
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1995
Richard III
Richard III as Richard III
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Jack & Sarah
Jack & Sarah as William
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Restoration
Restoration as Will Gates
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Cold Comfort Farm
Cold Comfort Farm as Amos Starkadder
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1994
The Shadow
The Shadow as Dr. Reinhardt Lane
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To Die For
To Die For as Quilt Documentary Narrator (voice)
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David Macaulay: Roman City
David Macaulay: Roman City as Augustus Caesar (voice)
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1993
The Ballad of Little Jo
The Ballad of Little Jo as Percy Corcoran
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Six Degrees of Separation
Six Degrees of Separation as Geoffrey
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1992
Gladio
Gladio as Aldo Moro (voice)
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1990
Theatre Night
Theatre Night as Iago
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1989
Scandal
Scandal as John Profumo
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Countdown to War
Countdown to War as Adolf Hitler
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1988
Windmills of the Gods
Windmills of the Gods as Chairman
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1985
Plenty
Plenty as Sir Andrew Charleson
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Zina
Zina as Kronfeld
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1984
Playing Shakespeare
1983
Walter & June
Walter & June as Walter
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The Keep
The Keep as Dr. Theodore Cuza
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1982
Walter
Walter as Walter
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The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel as Chauvelin
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Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare
1981
Priest of Love
Priest of Love as D.H. Lawrence
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1979
Macbeth
Macbeth as Macbeth
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1978
Armchair Thriller
Armchair Thriller as Anthony Skipling
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1972
BBC Play of the Month
BBC Play of the Month as George Tesman
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Country Matters
Country Matters as David Masterman
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1970
Edward II
Edward II as King Edward
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1969
A Touch of Love
A Touch of Love as George
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Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great as Roger
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2022
Quintessentially British
2021
Hating Peter Tatchell
2019
On Broadway
On Broadway
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2018
McKellen: Playing the Part
2017
Edmund the Magnificent
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
2016
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC
Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage
2015
Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC
2014
Nelson Mandela Redrawn
The Graham Norton Show
Sesame Street
Sesame Street
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2013
Muse of Fire
Muse of Fire
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The Wolverine: The Path of a Ronin
2011
The Betty Driver Story
Perspectives
Perspectives
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2005
The Hobart Shakespeareans
Ringers: Lord of the Fans
2004
Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!!
Real Time with Bill Maher
2003
Churchill
Churchill
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2001
HBO First Look
HBO First Look
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National Geographic Explorer
Quest for the Ring
2000
1995
Thin Ice
Thin Ice
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1995
Richard III
Richard III as Screenplay
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