Ian McKellen :: General Info :: Biography :: TV Cast/Crew Credits

Mostly Credited As:	Ian McKellen
Sometimes Credited As:	Sir Ian McKellen
Birth Name:	Ian Murray McKellen
Date Of Birth:	May 25, 1939
Country Of Birth:	United Kingdom
Birth Place:	Burnley, Lancashire, England
Height:	5' 11" (1.8 m)

On May 25th, 1939, in the small town of Burnley in northern England, Ian Murray McKellen was born. His parents, Denis and Margery, soon moved with Ian and his sister Jean to the coal mining town of Wigan. It was in this small town that young Ian would ride out World War II. He soon developed a fascination with acting and the theater, which was encouraged by his parents. They would all bring him to plays, those by William Shakespeare in particular. The amateur school productions fostered Ian's growing passion for theatre. When Ian was of age to begin attending school, he made sure to get roles in all of the productions. At Bolton School in particular, he developed his skills early on. Indeed, his first role in a Shakespearian play was at Bolton, as Malvolio in Twelfth Night. Ian soon began attending Stratford-upon-Avon theater festivals, where he saw the greats perform: Olivier, Hiller, Gielgud, Richardson and Robeson. He continued his education in English Drama, but soon it fell by the wayside as he concentrated more and more on performing. He eventually obtained his Bachelor of Arts in 1961, and began his career in earnest. McKellen began working in theatre over the next few years. Very few people knew of Ian's homosexuality; he saw no reason to go public, nor had he told his family. They did not seem interested in the subject and so he saw no reason to bring it up. In 1988, Ian publicly came out of the closet on the BBC Radio 4 program, while discussing Margaret Thatcher's "section 28" legislation which would make the "public promotion of homosexuality" a crime. It was reason enough for McKellen to take a stand, and he has been active in the Gay Rights movement ever since.

Ian currently resides in Limehouse, where he lives with his partner of 8 years, Sean Mathias. The two worked together on the film Bent (1997). To this day, McKellen works mostly in theater, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1990 for his efforts in the arts. However, he has managed to make several quite successful forays into film. He has appeared in several productions of Shakespeare's works including his well received Richard III (1995), and in a variety of other movies. However it has only been recently that his star has finally begun to shine in the eyes of North American audiences. Roles in various films: Cold Comfort Farm (1995) (TV), Apt Pupil (1998) and Gods and Monsters (1998), riveted audiences. The latter in particular created a sensation in Hollywood, and McKellen's role garnered him several of awards and nominations,including a Golden Globe and an Oscar nod. McKellen Continues to work extensively on stage... solidifying his role as Laurence Olivier's worthy successor, having recently scored hits in the London productions of Peter Pan and Noel Coward's Present Laughter.

Movie Credits
Magneto (2007) - Eric Lensherr/Magneto
Flushed Away (2006) (voice) - Toad
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) - Eric Lensherr/Magneto
The Da Vinci Code (2006) - Sir Leigh Teabing
Neverwas (2005) - Gabriel Finch
Asylum (2005/I) - Dr. Peter Cleave
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - Gandalf
Emile (2003) - Emile
X-Men: X2 (2003) - Eric Lensherr/Magneto
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - Gandalf
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - Gandalf the Grey
X-Men (2000) - Eric Lensherr/Magneto
Apt Pupil (1998) - Kurt Dussander
Gods and Monsters (1998) - James Whale
Swept from the Sea (1997) - Dr. James Kennedy
Bent (1997) - Uncle Freddie
Restoration (1995) - Will Gates
Richard III (1995) - Richard III
Jack and Sarah (1995) - William
The Shadow (1994) - Dr. Reinhardt Lane
I'll Do Anything (1994) - John Earl McAlpine
Six Degrees of Separation (1993) - Geoffrey Miller
And the Band Played On (1993) (TV) - Bill Kraus
The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) - Percy Corcoran
Last Action Hero (1993) - Death

...and many, many more.

Ian McKellen

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