Ian McKellen
Biography
Ian McKellen is an English actor whose stage and screen work ranges from Shakespeare to fantasy and science fiction. Born in Burnley in 1939, he made his stage debut in 1961, and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, becoming known for leading Shakespearean roles. He won a Tony Award for his performance as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus and has earned multiple Olivier Awards. On film, he became widely known as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings (2001 to 2003) and The Hobbit (2012 to 2014) trilogies, and as Magneto in the X-Men films (2000 to 2014). His other notable films include Richard III (1995), Gods and Monsters (1998), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Mr. Holmes (2015), and The Good Liar (2019). He received an Academy Award nomination for Gods and Monsters and a Screen Actors Guild Award for The Fellowship of the Ring.
87years old
Turns 88 on May 25in 225 days
- Born Burnley
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Ian Murray McKellen (birth name)Also credited as Sir Ian Murray McKellen and Sir Ian McKellen
Movie Career
- Films
- 52
- Career span
- 57 years1969 to 2026
Genres
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First role
McKellen first appeared professionally in 1961 at Coventry's Belgrade Theatre, playing Roper in A Man for All Seasons. The Marlowe Society's Cymbeline had already been sold commercially as an audio recording.
A first
McKellen played the title role in the BBC's 1966 David Copperfield, which drew 12 million viewers when it first aired. The master videotapes were wiped, and only four episodes survive.
Ian McKellen movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring2001 Adventure, Drama, Fantasyas Gandalf
IMDb rating 8.92.2M votes
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King2003 Adventure, Drama, Fantasyas Gandalf
IMDb rating 9.02.2M votes
Most often with
Peter Jackson directed six of these films, Bryan Singer four and Bill Condon four. Orlando Bloom appears in six of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Orlando Bloom's page
Judi Dench's page
Hugh Jackman's page
Andy Serkis's page
Bruce Davison's page
Sean Astin's page
All films by Peter Jackson
All films by Bryan Singer
All films by Bill Condon
Also four films together8 more actors
- Patrick StewartX-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men 2 (2003) and X-Men (2000)
- Cate BlanchettThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Elijah WoodRingers: Lord of the Fans (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Viggo MortensenRingers: Lord of the Fans (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Halle BerryX-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men 2 (2003) and X-Men (2000)
- Anna PaquinX-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men 2 (2003) and X-Men (2000)
- Billy BoydRingers: Lord of the Fans (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Jed BrophyThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Ian McKellen's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$10.9 billion
37 of the 51 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 51 films: 37 worldwide figure; 5 us gross only; 5 never in cinemas; 4 figure not found.
- 37Worldwide figure
- 5US gross only
- 5Never in cinemas
- 4Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 72% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$1.3B11.6% of the total
- 2$1.1B10.3% of the total
- 3$1.0B9.4% of the total
- 4$958M8.8% of the total
- 5$956M8.8% of the total
- 6$926M8.5% of the total
- 7$871M8.0% of the total
- 8$760M7.0% of the total
$3.0 billionfrom the other 29 films with a worldwide figure, 28% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1981 to 2010, four of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1996 | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny | Won |
| SAG Awards | |||
| 2003 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Won |
| 2001 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Won |
| Tony Awards | |||
| 1981 | Best Actor in a Play | Amadeus | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2010 | Empire Icon Award | Won | |
| 2009 | Donostia Award | Won | |
| 2008 | Companion of Honour | Won | |
| 2006 | Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production | Flushed Away | Won |
| 2003 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Won |
| 2001 | Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Won |
| 1998 | Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor | Gods and Monsters | Won |
| 1998 | Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor | Apt Pupil | Won |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.