Ian McKellen
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 25, 1939
- Birthplace
- Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cultural icon and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. He has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, six Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards and five Emmy Awards. McKellen made his stage debut in 1961 at the Belgrade Theatre as a member of its repertory company, and in 1965 made his first West End appearance. In 1969, he was invited to join the Prospect Theatre Company to play the lead parts in Shakespeare's Richard II and Marlowe's Edward II. In the 1970s, McKellen became a stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain. He has earned five Olivier Awards for his roles in Pillars of the Community (1977), The Alchemist (1978), Bent (1979), Wild Honey (1984), and Richard III (1995). McKellen made his Broadway debut in The Promise (1965). He received the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus (1980). He was further nominated for Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare (1984). He returned to Broadway in Wild Honey(1986), Dance of Death (1990), No Man's Land (2013), and Waiting for Godot (2013), the latter two being a joint production with Patrick Stewart. McKellen achieved worldwide fame for his film roles, including the titular King in Richard III (1995), James Whale in Gods and Monsters (1998), Magneto in the X-Men films, Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) trilogies. Other notable film roles include A Touch of Love (1969), Plenty (1985), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Restoration (1995), Flushed Away (2006), Mr. Holmes (2015), and The Good Liar (2019). McKellen came out as gay in 1988, and has since championed LGBT social movements worldwide. He was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in October 2014. McKellen is a cofounder of Stonewall, an LGBT rights lobby group in the United Kingdom, named after the Stonewall riots. He is also patron of LGBT History Month, Pride London, Oxford Pride, GayGlos, LGBT Foundation and FFLAG. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ian McKellen, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
- Untitled Anthony Hopkins Documentary
Untitled Anthony Hopkins Documentary TBA
as Self
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum 2027
as Gandalf
Avengers: Doomsday 2026
as Magneto
Ebenezer 2026
as Jacob Marley
Frank and Percy 2026
as Percy
Tea with Judi Dench featuring Ian McKellen 2026
as Self
The Christophers 2026
as Julian Sklar
LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes 2026
as L S Lowry
Schadenfreude 2025
as Continuity Announcer
A World War II Fairy Tale: The Making of Michael Mann's 'The Keep' 2025
as Self (archive footage)
Ken Dodd: A Legacy of Happiness 2025
Actor
The Critic 2024
as Jimmy Erskine
Dragfox 2024
as Ginger Snap the Fox (Speaking) (voice)
The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved 2024
Actor
The Life and Death of Lily Savage 2024
as Self
Hamlet 2024
as Hamlet
The One Note Man 2023
as Narrator (voice)
Quintessentially British 2022
as Self
Freedom: 50 Years of Pride 2022
as Self
Hamlet Within 2022
Actor
Hating Peter Tatchell 2021
as Self
Infinitum: Subject Unknown 2021
as Dr. Charles Marland-White
Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU 2020
Actor
Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet 2020
Actor
Cats 2019
as Gus, the Theatre Cat
The Good Liar 2019
as Roy Courtnay
On Broadway 2019
as Self
The Isle 2019
Associate Producer
All Is True 2018
as Earl of Southampton
National Theatre Live: King Lear 2018
as King Lear
Animal Crackers 2018
as Horatio P. Huntington (voice)
McKellen: Playing the Part 2018
as Self
The Paul O'Grady Story 2017
as Self
How a Kite Flies 2017
as Mr. Kite (voice)
Beauty and the Beast 2017
as Cogsworth
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin 2017
as Self
Edmund the Magnificent 2017
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage 2016
as Self
National Theatre Live: No Man's Land 2016
as Spooner
- Play the Devil: Making Richard III
Play the Devil: Making Richard III 2016
Actor
- Shakespeare on Film
Shakespeare on Film 2016
Actor
- Shakespeare on Stage, Screen and Elsewhere with Ian McKellen
Shakespeare on Stage, Screen and Elsewhere with Ian McKellen 2016
Actor
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film 2016
as Prospero's Speech Reader (voice)
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC 2016
as Self - Performer
The Roof 2016
as And Even Yet Another Fan
Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC 2015
as Self (archive footage)
The Dresser 2015
as Norman
Mr. Holmes 2015
as Sherlock Holmes
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 2014
as Gandalf the Grey
Double Take: Xavier & Magneto 2014
as Self
Nelson Mandela Redrawn 2014
as Self
X-Men: Days of Future Past 2014
as Magneto
Miss in Her Teens 2014
as The Prologue
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 2013
as Gandalf the Grey
The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin 2013
as Self
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot 2013
as Self
Muse of Fire 2013
as Self
The Wolverine 2013
as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (uncredited)
The Egg Trick 2013
as Magician
Doctor Who: The Snowmen 2012
as The Great Intelligence (voice)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2012
as Gandalf the Grey
London 2012: Paralympics Opening Ceremony 2012
as Self
Looking for Lowry 2011
as Self
The Betty Driver Story 2011
as Self
Small-Time Revolutionary 2010
as Hamish Miller (voice)
A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation 2010
as Narrator (voice)
Theatreland 2009
as Self
King Lear 2008
as King Lear
The Golden Compass 2007
as Iorek Byrnison (voice)
Stardust 2007
as Narrator (voice)
Pet Shop Boys: Cubism 2007
as Self- voice
- The Art of Breaking Character
The Art of Breaking Character 2007
as Self
- For the Love of God
For the Love of God 2007
as The Jackdaw
Guerrilla Distribution 2007
as Self
Flushed Away 2006
as The Toad (voice)
- X3: The Excitement Continues
X3: The Excitement Continues 2006
as Self
Brett Ratner's X-Diaries 2006
as Self
The Making of The Return of the King 2006
as Self
The Making of The Two Towers 2006
as Self
X-Men: The Last Stand 2006
as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
The Da Vinci Code 2006
as Sir Leigh Teabing
Saint of 9/11 2006
as Narrator
Doogal 2006
as Zebedee (voice)
Asylum 2005
as Dr. Peter Cleave
Neverwas 2005
as Gabriel Finch
The Hobart Shakespeareans 2005
as Self
The Magic Roundabout 2005
as Zebedee (voice)
Ringers: Lord of the Fans 2005
as Self
Eighteen 2005
as Jason Anders (voice)
A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King' 2004
as Self
My First Time 2004
as Narrator
Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!! 2004
as Self
Peter Tatchell: Just Who Does He Think He Is? 2004
Actor
The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision 2003
as Self
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003
as Gandalf
Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King 2003
as Self
The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men! Making X2 2003
as Self
The Two Towers: Designing Middle-earth 2003
as Self
Властелин Колец: Возвращение Бомжа, или Агроном наносит ответный удар 2003
as Pendalf
X2 2003
as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto
X-Men: Premieres Around the World 2003
as Self
Evolution X - The Making of X-Men 2003
Actor
Emile 2003
as Emile
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002
as Gandalf
The Fellowship of the Ring: The Road Goes Ever On.. 2002
as Self
The Fellowship of the Ring: Scale 2002
as Self
The Fellowship of the Ring: Cameras in Middle-earth 2002
as Self
The Fellowship of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Cast 2002
as Self
The Fellowship of the Ring: Designing and Building Middle-earth 2002
as Self
The Fellowship of the Ring: From Book to Script 2002
as Self
Ring of Bratva 2001
as Pendalf
Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001
as Self
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001
as Gandalf
Passage to Middle-Earth: The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings' 2001
as Self
Quest for the Ring 2001
as Self
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love 2001
as Narrator (voice)
Now You See Him: 'The Invisible Man' Revealed! 2000
as Self
X-Men 2000
as Magneto
X-Men: The Mutant Watch 2000
as Self - 'Magneto'
Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 2000
as Narrator (voice)
The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale 1999
as Self
After Stonewall 1999
as Self
Apt Pupil 1998
as Kurt Dussander
Gods and Monsters 1998
as James Whale
Swept from the Sea 1998
as Dr. James Kennedy
Bent 1997
as Uncle Freddie
Surviving Friendly Fire 1997
Actor
A Bit Of Scarlet 1997
as Narrator
An Evening with Lily Savage 1996
as Self
Rasputin 1996
as Tsar Nicholas II
Restoration 1995
as Will Gates
Richard III 1995
as Richard III, Executive Producer, Screenplay
Jack & Sarah 1995
as William
Thin Ice 1995
as Ian McKellen
Cold Comfort Farm 1995
as Amos Starkadder
To Die For 1994
as Quilt Documentary Narrator (voice)
Stonewall 25: Global Voices of Pride and Protest 1994
as Self
Age of Dissent 1994
as Self
The Shadow 1994
as Dr. Reinhardt Lane
David Macaulay: Roman City 1994
as Augustus Caesar (voice)
I'll Do Anything 1994
as John Earl McAlpine
Camp Christmas 1993
Actor
Six Degrees of Separation 1993
as Geoffrey
A Simple Matter of Justice 1993
as Self
And the Band Played On 1993
as Bill Kraus
The Ballad of Little Jo 1993
as Percy Corcoran
Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up 1993
as Narration (voice)
Last Action Hero 1993
as Death
Gladio 1992
as Aldo Moro (voice)
Othello 1990
as Iago
Countdown to War 1989
as Adolf Hitler
Scandal 1989
as John Profumo
Scarfe's Follies 1988
Actor
Süleyman the Magnificent 1987
as Narrator
Zina 1985
as Kronfeld
Plenty 1985
as Sir Andrew Charleson
The Keep 1983
as Dr. Theodore Cuza
Walter and June 1983
as Walter
The Scarlet Pimpernel 1982
as Chauvelin
Walter 1982
as Walter
Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare 1982
Actor
Priest of Love 1981
as D.H. Lawrence
- Dying Day
Dying Day 1980
as Antony Skipling
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour 1979
as Alexander Ivanov
Macbeth 1979
as Macbeth
- Graceless Go I
Graceless Go I 1974
as Tony
- Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler 1972
as George Tesman
- Craven Arms
Craven Arms 1972
as David Masterman
Hamlet 1970
as Hamlet
Edward II 1970
as King Edward
The Tragedy of King Richard II 1970
as King Richard II
- The Promise
The Promise 1969
Actor
Alfred the Great 1969
as Roger
A Touch of Love 1969
as George
The Trial and Torture of Sir John Rampayne 1965
as Wolf
Credits from TMDB.