Video: Ian McKellen Performs Shakespeare Monologue on THE LATE SHOW

Stage and screen legend Ian McKellen sat down with Stephen Colbert during a recent episode of The Late Show for an extended interview covering his long career as a performer. 

Currently appearing in An Ark at The Shed, McKellen spoke about the many facets of his illustrious body of work, including reprising his roles as Gandalf and Magneto in the upcoming Lord of the Rings and Avengers films, respectively.

However, the Tony Award winner noted that his first love is live theater, where he has played some of Shakespeare's greatest characters, such as Hamlet, Macbeth, Iago, and Richard III, among others. 

"There's nothing I enjoy more than acting... in the theater," he said, noting the direct communication with the audience. "We're in the same room, the same space, and something happens. There is a collective happening. I speak, you listen, you laugh, you cry, you're moved, you're stimulated in some way." 

During his visit, he also treated the audience to a performance from the play Sir Thomas More, which was written in part by Shakespeare. McKellen, who first performed it in 1964, has the distinction of being one of the only living actors to have premiered a Shakespeare role.

McKellen explained that the play was never performed during Shakespeare's lifetime because it was considered to be "a bit seditious." The speech in question relates to the treatment of strangers (immigrants) and the moral costs that need to be considered by those calling for their removal.

Watch the powerful performance, along with the full interview, where McKellen also previews The Ark, a mixed reality production that the performer calls "extraordinary." "I don't know whether [mixed reality] is the future, but it's certainly not the past."

An Ark, the first play created for and in mixed reality, is currently playing at The Shed. Written by Olivier and Tony Award winner Simon Stephens, directed by UK Theatre Award winner Sarah Frankcom, and produced by mixed reality pioneer Todd Eckert, the production will run for an exclusive seven-week engagement through March 1, 2026.

The cast includes Ian McKellen (Film: Lord of the Rings, X-Men; Stage: Richard III, Amadeus), Golda Rosheuvel (Bridgerton), Arinzé Kene (Misty, Get Up, Stand Up!), and Rosie Sheehy (Machinal, Old Vic). 

An Ark is a lyrical meditation on the human condition, traversing the span of a lifetime in just 47 immersive, affecting minutes. From the wonder of childhood and the joy of first love to the complexities of parenting and the inevitability of death, the play invites audiences into a deeply personal exploration of what it means to live, to grieve, and to connect. 

McKellen is an acting luminary whose career on the stage has spanned decades. He won a Tony Award in 1981 for Amadeus and is also the recipient of six Oliviers. 2027 will mark the 60th anniversary of his Broadway debut in the play The Promise.