Ian McKellen

Actor | Writer | Producer

Widely regarded as one of greatest stage and screen actors both in his native Great Britain and ...

Born: May 25, 1939

Photos

Before They Were Famous: Actors' Early Roles

See photos of celebrities like Courteney Cox and Jason Momoa before they hit the big-time, and revisit some of their earliest onscreen roles.

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Filmography

Known For

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Gandalf (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Gandalf (2003)
Gods and Monsters James Whale (1998)
Known For

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Gandalf (2002)
Actor

Infinitum: Subject Unknown Dr. Charles Marland-White (2021)
Herbie Herbie (2020)
Cats Gus the Theatre Cat (2019)
Darrylgorn Ian (2019)
The King and the Master Builder Narrator (2019)
The Good Liar Roy Courtnay (2019)
All Is True Earl of Southampton (2018)
National Theatre Live: King Lear King Lear (2018)
Family Guy Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (2018)
Edmund the Magnificent Narrator (2017)
Animal Crackers Horatio P. Huntington (2017)
Beauty and the Beast Cogsworth (2017)
Look Back in Anger Colonel (2016)
National Theatre Live: No Man's Land Spooner (2016)
Vicious Freddie Thornhill (2013-2016)
The Roof And Even Yet Another Fan (2016)
The Dresser Norman (2015)
The Power of Storytelling, with Sir Ian McKellen Storyteller (2015)
Mr. Holmes Sherlock Holmes (2015)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Gandalf (2014)
George Ezra: Listen to the Man Sir Ian Mckellen (2014)
X-Men: Days of Future Past Magneto (2014)
Miss in Her Teens The Prologue (2014)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Gandalf (2013)
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot Ian McKellen (2013)
The Wolverine Magneto (2013)
The Egg Trick Magician (2013)
Doctor Who Great Intelligence (2012)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Gandalf (2012)
The Academy: Special Murray (2012)
Claude et Claudette The Voice (2011)
E'gad, Zombies! Narrator (2010)
Lady Grey London (2010)
A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation Narrator (2010)
Small-Time Revolutionary Hamish Miller (2010)
Goldfinger: The Radio Play Auric Goldfinger (2010)
The Academy Part 2: First Impressions Murray (2009)
The Prisoner 2 (2009)
The Academy Murray (2009)
King Lear King Lear (2008)
Great Performances King Lear (2008)
The Golden Compass Iorek Byrnison (2007)
Stardust Narrator (2007)
For the Love of God Jackdaw (2007)
Displaced (2006)
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king Gandalf the Grey / Gandalf the White (2006)
Flushed Away The Toad (2006)
Extras Ian McKellen (2006)
X-Men: The Last Stand Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (2006)
The Da Vinci Code Sir Leigh Teabing (2006)
Dougal: American Edition Zebedee (2006)
Sprung! The Magic Roundabout Zebedee (2005)
Eighteen Jason Anders (2005)
Neverwas Gabriel Finch (2005)
Coronation Street Mel Hutchwright (2005)
Asylum Dr. Peter Cleave (2005)
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth Gandalf (2004)
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age Gandalf (2004)
Arena Narrator (2004)
Churchill Narrator (2003-2004)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Gandalf (2003)
The Simpsons Sir Ian McKellen (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Gandalf (2003)
Emile Emile (2003)
X2: X-Men United Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Gandalf (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Gandalf (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Gandalf (2001)
X-Men Eric Lensherr / Magneto (2000)
Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man Narrator (2000)
David Copperfield Creakle (1999)
Apt Pupil Kurt Dussander (1998)
Gods and Monsters James Whale (1998)
Swept from the Sea Dr. James Kennedy (1997)
Bent Uncle Freddie (1997)
Rasputin Tsar Nicholas II (1996)
Restoration Will Gates (1995)
Richard III Richard III - Duke of Gloucester (1995)
Jack & Sarah William (1995)
Live from the Lilydrome The Priest (1995)
Cold Comfort Farm Amos Starkadder (1995)
Heaven's a Drag Quilt Documentary Narrator (1994)
The Shadow Reinhardt Lane (1994)
I'll Do Anything John Earl McAlpine (1994)
Six Degrees of Separation Geoffrey (1993)
Tales of the City Archibald Anson Gidde (1993)
And the Band Played On Bill Kraus (1993)
The Ballad of Little Jo Percy Corcoran (1993)
Last Action Hero Death (1993)
Theatre Night Iago (1990)
Countdown to War Adolf Hitler (1989)
Scandal John Profumo (1989)
Pet Shop Boys: Heart Vampire (1988)
Windmills of the Gods Chairman (1988)
Zina Kronfeld (1985)
Plenty Sir Andrew Charleson (1985)
The Keep Dr. Theodore Cuza (1983)
Walter & June Walter (1983)
The Scarlet Pimpernel Chauvelin (1982)
Walter Walter (1982)
Priest of Love D.H. Lawrence (1981)
Play for Today (1980)
Armchair Thriller Antony Skipling (1980)
BBC2 Playhouse Alexander (1979)
Macbeth Macbeth (1979)
Jackanory Storyteller (1978)
ITV Playhouse (1974)
BBC Play of the Month Captain Plume (1968-1973)
Country Matters David Masterman (1972)
ITV Sunday Night Theatre Lyov (1972)
Hamlet Hamlet (1970)
Edward II King Edward (1970)
The Tragedy of King Richard II King Richard II (1970)
Solo John Keats (1970)
The Promise Leonidik (1969)
Alfred the Great Roger (1969)
A Touch of Love George (1969)
David Copperfield David Copperfield (1966)
Sunday Out of Season Victor Leech (1965)
The Wednesday Play Wolf (1965)
Actor

The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling Plowden (1964)
Soundtrack

Nostalgia Critic (2018-2021)
Lindsay Ellis' Essay Collection (2020)
WatchMojo (2020)
Cats (2019)
Good Morning Britain (2019)
ITV Lunchtime News (2019)
Animal Crackers (2017)
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Soundtrack

Apt Pupil (1998)
Writer

Richard III (1995)
Writer

Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare (1982)
Producer

Richard III (1995)
Archive footage

V.O.S.: Lo que NO te cuentan (2021)
A World War II Fairytale: The Making of Michael Mann's 'The Keep' (2020)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2020)
Coronation Street: Compilations (2020)
Good Morning Britain (2019)
ITV Lunchtime News (2019)
Groeten uit 19XX (2019)
WTF with Marc Maron (2017)
Try Not to Smile or Laugh (2015-2017)
No Sleep TV3 (2016)
Welcome to the Basement (2015)
Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC (2015)
The Third Annual 'on Cinema' Oscar Special (2015)
Lego the Hobbit: The Video Game (2014)
Fifty Years on Stage (2013)
Movie Guide (2013)
Lego the Lord of the Rings: The Video Game (2012)
Special Collector's Edition (2011)
The Stars of the Street: 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters (2010)
The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (2010)
20 to 1 (2010)
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)
Breakfast (2010)
Stars on the Street (2009)
Live from Studio Five (2009)
This Morning (2009)
Catalogue of Ships (2008)
The Story of Jackanory (2007)
The Colbert Report (2007)
Cannes 2006: Crónica de Carlos Boyero (2006)
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II (2006)
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)
Have I Got News for You: The Best of the Guest Presenters - Volume 2 (2005)
101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments (2004)
DNZ: The Real Middle Earth (2004)
Pet Shop Boys: Pop Art - The Videos (2003)
Sendung ohne Namen (2002-2003)
Toonami Game Reviews (2002)
Plenty: Days of Plenty - A Conversation with Director Fred Schepisi (2002)
J.R.R. Tolkien: Creator of Middle-Earth (2002)
The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster (2002)
Lord of the Piercing (2002)
William Shakespeare (2000)
After Stonewall (1999)
Understanding Modern Societies (1993)
Pet Shop Boys: Videography (1991)
Archive footage

The Nicholas Craig Masterclass (1990)
Showbusiness (1988)

Videos

Awards

Did You Know

Trivia

Won Broadway's 1981 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for originating the role of Antonio Salieri in "Amadeus". He was nominated in the same category in 1984 for "Ian McKellen Acting Shakespeare".

I don't approve of titles. I think they get in the way. I do however approve of medals for public service, and that's how I choose to look at it.. [But] other actors said to me, 'Please we need a knighthood. Because when a knight knocks on the door ...