Sir Ian McKellen is an actor of stage and screen, and a prolific activist.
Notable film roles include James Whale in 'Gods and Monsters', Magneto in The 'X-Men' trilogy and
Gandalf in 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’. He also reprised the role in 'The
Hobbit’ trilogy.
On stage, he has enjoyed a long and varied career. He has performed the title roles in Shakesperean plays such as 'Macbeth' and 'King Lear', as well as comedy roles
like Widow Twanky in 'Aladdin’.
McKellen has also taken occasional tv roles. He fulfilled a somewhat surprising ambition in 2005, when he appeared for a 10-episode arc in the
British soap opera 'Coronation Street'. He also starred alongside
Derek Jacobi in the sitcom ‘Vicious’, wherein they played bickering lovers in their later years. The show ran for 2 full seasons and 2
Christmas specials, between 2013 and
2016.
Ian McKellen has been openly homosexual since 1988 when he came out on a BBC radio show whilst discussing Section 28; a now defunct legislation that forbade the discussion, promotion or recognition of homosexuals in the U.K. education system. A few months later he co-founded Stonewall: an LGBT rights
charity, with whom he remains involved.
Person
1: I loved Ian McKellen in the "X-Men" movies.
Person 2: Really? As enjoyable as they were I'd say he has been in many movies and plays far more worthy of your attention.
Person
1: I only
like action movies.
Person 2: You're an idiot.