Ian McKellen

Sir Ian McKellen began his professional acting career in 1961, appearing as Roper in A Man for All Seasons at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. In 1965, he joined Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre Company at the Old Vic. In 1966, he played the title role in the BBC television adaptation of David Copperfield. In 1969, he appeared in the films The Promise, Alfred the Great, and A Touch of Love. During the 1970s, he performed extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre, appearing in productions including King Lear (1973–1974), King John (1975), Romeo and Juliet (1976–1977), and The Winter’s Tale (1978). In 1976, he played the title role in Macbeth and Iago in Othello, both directed by Trevor Nunn and later adapted for television. In 1979, he appeared on Broadway as Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus.

In film and television, McKellen portrayed D. H. Lawrence in Priest of Love (1981), appeared in The Keep (1983), and starred in Plenty (1985). He returned to Broadway in Wild Honey (1986) and appeared in the film Scandal (1989), portraying John Profumo. From 1990 to 1992, he performed in a world tour of Richard III. In 1993, he appeared in Six Degrees of Separation, The Ballad of Little Jo, and Last Action Hero. In 1994, he appeared in The Shadow and I’ll Do Anything. In 1995, he wrote and starred in the film adaptation of Richard III, and also appeared in Restoration and Jack and Sarah. His television credits during this period included And the Band Played On (1993), Cold Comfort Farm (1995), Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), and David Copperfield (1999). He appeared in Apt Pupil and Gods and Monsters in 1998.

McKellen achieved international recognition portraying Magneto in X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), later reprising the role in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). He portrayed Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). He returned to Broadway in The Dance of Death (2001) and hosted Saturday Night Live (2002). His film and television credits during the 2000s included The Da Vinci Code (2006), the television series Extras (2006), the film Stardust (2007), and voice work in The Golden Compass (2007). He appeared in stage productions of King Lear and The Seagull (2007), the television miniseries The Prisoner (2009), and stage productions of Waiting for Godot (2009, 2013–2014) and No Man’s Land (2013–2014).

He reprised the role of Gandalf in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). He appeared in the television sitcom Vicious from 2013 to 2016. His later film credits include Mr. Holmes (2015), Beauty and the Beast (2017), All Is True (2018), The Good Liar (2019), and Cats (2019). His television work includes The Dresser (2015) and voice roles in Family Guy (2018). His stage credits during this period include King Lear (2017–2018), Hamlet (2021), The Cherry Orchard (2021), and Player Kings (2024). He appeared in the film The Critic (2023) and is scheduled to appear in Avengers: Doomsday (2026).