The tale of The Lord of the Rings set the precedent for modern high fantasy. Peter Jackson’s live-action trilogy revolutionized cinematic adaptations. And Sir Ian McKellen lived up to the name and reputation of Gandalf the White. J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginative universe never felt more realized than in the hands of Peter Jackson and his merry band of hobbits, trolls, men, and elves.

The Shire in Lord of the Rings [Credit: New Line Cinema]

However, despite the colorful and honest rendition of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, there was a somewhat troublesome aspect in Jackson’s vision of the Lotr trilogy. This not only irked the young actors in the film but Sir Ian McKellen, too, regardless of how brilliant he was in film and theater.

Sir Ian McKellen’s love-hate relationship with Lotr Sir Ian McKellen with Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings [Credit: New Line Cinema]

Despite having a long, enduring, and flourishing career in theater,...