Sir Ian Murray McKellenΒ (born 25 May 1939) is an British and American actor. He has played roles on theΒ screen and stageΒ in genres ranging fromΒ ShakespeareanΒ dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as aΒ British cultural iconΒ and wasΒ knightedΒ by QueenΒ Elizabeth IIΒ in 1991. He has receivedΒ numerous accolades, including aΒ Tony Award, sixΒ Olivier Awards, and aΒ Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for twoΒ Academy Awards, fiveΒ BAFTA AwardsΒ and fiveΒ Emmy Awards.
McKellen made his stage debut in 1961 at theΒ Belgrade TheatreΒ as a member of its repertory company, and in 1965 made his firstΒ West End appearance. In 1969, he was invited to join theΒ Prospect Theatre CompanyΒ to play the lead parts in Shakespeare'sΒ Richard IIΒ andΒ Marlowe'sΒ Edward II. In the 1970s, McKellen became a stalwart of theΒ Royal Shakespeare CompanyΒ and theΒ National Theatre of Great Britain. He has earned fiveΒ Olivier AwardsΒ for his roles inΒ Pillars of the CommunityΒ (1977),Β The AlchemistΒ (1978),Β BentΒ (1979),Β Wild HoneyΒ (1984), andΒ Richard III (1995). McKellen made hisΒ BroadwayΒ debut inΒ The PromiseΒ (1965). He received theΒ Tony Award for Best Actor in a PlayΒ for his role asΒ Antonio SalieriΒ inΒ AmadeusΒ (1980). He was further nominated forΒ Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare (1984). He returned to Broadway inΒ Wild Honey(1986),Β Dance of DeathΒ (1990),Β No Man's Land (2013), andΒ Waiting for GodotΒ (2013), the latter two being a joint production withΒ Patrick Stewart.
McKellen achieved worldwide fame for his film roles, including theΒ titular KingΒ inΒ Richard III(1995),Β James WhaleΒ inΒ Gods and MonstersΒ (1998),Β MagnetoΒ in theΒ X-MenΒ films,Β CogsworthΒ inΒ Beauty and the BeastΒ (2017) andΒ GandalfΒ inΒ The Lord of the RingsΒ (2001β2003) andΒ The Hobbit (2012β2014) trilogies. Other notable film roles includeΒ A Touch of LoveΒ (1969),Β PlentyΒ (1985),Β Six Degrees of SeparationΒ (1993),Β RestorationΒ (1995),Β Flushed AwayΒ (2006),Β Mr. Holmes (2015), andΒ The Good LiarΒ (2019).
McKellenΒ came outΒ as gay in 1988, and has since championedΒ LGBT social movements worldwide. He was awarded theΒ Freedom of the City of LondonΒ in October 2014. McKellen is a cofounder ofΒ Stonewall, an LGBT rightsΒ lobbyΒ group in the United Kingdom, named after theΒ Stonewall riots.Β He is also patron ofΒ LGBT History Month,Β Pride London, Oxford Pride, GayGlos,Β LGBT FoundationΒ andΒ FFLAG.
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