Ian McKellen

Sir Ian Murray McKellen, born 25 May 1939, is an English actor of stage and screen. Widely regarded as a British cultural icon, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. Over his career, he has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, six Laurence Olivier Awards, two Actor Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. He has also earned nominations for two Academy Awards, five BAFTAs, and five Emmy Awards.

McKellen was born in Burnley, Lancashire, to Margery Lois and Denis Murray McKellen, a civil engineer and lay preacher. Raised in a non-orthodox Christian household, he spent his early childhood in Wigan during the Second World War before moving to Bolton in 1951. His interest in theatre was encouraged by his family, and he began acting at Bolton Little Theatre. In 1958, he earned a scholarship to St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he studied English literature and appeared in 23 plays with the Marlowe Society.

McKellen made his professional stage debut in 1961 at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry and made his first West End appearance in 1965. He achieved breakthrough acclaim in 1969 performing the lead parts in Shakespeare's Richard II and Marlowe's Edward II with the Prospect Theatre Company. During the 1970s, he became a regular performer with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain. He made his Broadway debut in The Promise in 1965 and later won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for portraying Antonio Salieri in Amadeus in 1980.

Over his extensive theatre career, McKellen earned Olivier Awards for his roles in productions such as Pillars of the Community, The Alchemist, Bent, Wild Honey, and Richard III. His stage work spans classical Shakespearean plays including Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, Twelfth Night, and Romeo and Juliet, as well as modern drama. On Broadway, his credits include Wild Honey, Dance of Death, and joint productions of No Man's Land and Waiting for Godot alongside Patrick Stewart.

On screen, McKellen's early work included playing the title character in the 1966 BBC adaptation of David Copperfield and film roles in A Touch of Love, Priest of Love, Plenty, and Scandal. In 1995, he wrote and starred in a film adaptation of Richard III. He gained global recognition for blockbuster roles, playing Magneto in the X-Men films, Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. His other notable films include Gods and Monsters, Six Degrees of Separation, Flushed Away, Mr. Holmes, and The Good Liar.

McKellen came out as gay in 1988 and became a prominent LGBT rights advocate globally. He cofounded Stonewall, a United Kingdom LGBT rights group, and serves as patron for organizations such as LGBT History Month, Pride London, and the LGBT Foundation. In October 2014, he was awarded the Freedom of the City of London.