McKellen was born on 25 May 1939 inBurnley, Lancashire,[9][10] the son of Margery Lois (née Sutcliffe) and Denis Murray McKellen. He was their second child, with a sister, Jean, five years his senior.[11] At four months old, shortly before the outbreak of theSecond World War in September 1939, his family moved toWigan. They lived there until Ian was twelve years old, before relocating toBolton in 1951 after his father had been promoted.[11][12] The experience of living through the war as a young child had a lasting impact on him, and he later said that "only after peace resumed ... did I realise that war wasn't normal".[12] When an interviewer remarked that he seemed quite calm in the aftermath of the11 September attacks, McKellen said: "Well, darling, you forget—I slept under asteel plate until I was four years old".[13]
McKellen's father was a civil engineer[14] andlay preacher, and was ofProtestant Irish andScottish descent.[15] Both of McKellen's grandfathers were preachers, and his great-great-grandfather, James McKellen, was a "strict, evangelicalProtestant minister" inBallymena, County Antrim.[16] His home environment was strongly Christian, but non-orthodox. "My upbringing was of low nonconformist Christians who felt that you led the Christian life in part by behaving in a Christian manner to everybody you met".[17] When he was 12, his mother died of breast cancer; his father died when he was 25. After hiscoming out as gay to his stepmother, Gladys McKellen, who was aQuaker, he said, "Not only was she not fazed, but as a member of a society which declared its indifference to people's sexuality years back, I think she was just glad for my sake that I wasn't lying any more".[18] His great-great-grandfather Robert J. Lowes was an activist and campaigner in the ultimately successful campaign for aSaturday half-holiday in Manchester, the forerunner to the modern five-day work week, thus making Lowes a "grandfather of the modern weekend".[19]
McKellen attendedBolton School (Boys' Division),[20] of which he is still a supporter, attending regularly to talk to pupils. McKellen's acting career started atBolton Little Theatre, of which he is now the patron.[21] An early fascination with the theatre was encouraged by his parents, who took him on a family outing toPeter Pan at theManchester Opera House when he was three.[11] When he was nine, his main Christmas present was a fold-away wood and bakelite Victorian theatre fromPollocks Toy Theatres, with cardboard scenery and wires to push on the cut-outs of Cinderella and ofLaurence Olivier's reenactment of Shakespeare's "Hamlet".[11]
His sister took him to his first Shakespeare play,Twelfth Night,[22] by the amateurs of Wigan's Little Theatre, shortly followed by theirMacbeth and Wigan High School for Girls' production ofA Midsummer Night's Dream, with music byMendelssohn, with the role of Bottom played by Jean McKellen, who continued to act, direct, and produce amateur theatre until her death.[23]
One of his first major roles on television was as the title character inthe BBC's 1966 adaptation ofDavid Copperfield, which achieved 12 million viewers on its initial airings. After some rebroadcasting in the late 60s, the master videotapes for the serial werewiped, and only four scattered episodes (3, 8, 9 and 11) survive astelerecordings, three of which feature McKellen as adult David. McKellen had taken film roles throughout his career—beginning in 1969 with his role of George Matthews inA Touch of Love, and his first leading role was in 1980 asD. H. Lawrence inPriest of Love,[30] but it was not until the 1990s that he became more widely recognised in this medium after several roles in blockbuster Hollywood films.[24] In 1969, McKellen starred in three films,Michael Hayes'sThe Promise,Clive Donner's epic filmAlfred the Great, andWaris Hussein'sA Touch of Love (1969).[31]
In 1986, he returned to Broadway in the revival ofAnton Chekhov's first playWild Honey alongsideKim Cattrall andKate Burton. The play concerned a local Russian schoolteacher who struggles to remain faithful to his wife, despite the attention of three other women. McKellen received mixed reviews from critics in particularFrank Rich ofThe New York Times who praised him for his "bravura and athletically graceful technique that provides everything except, perhaps, the thing that matters most—sustained laughter". He later wrote, "Mr. McKellen finds himself in the peculiar predicament of the star who strains to carry a frail supporting cast".[41] In 1989 he playedIago in production ofOthello by theRoyal Shakespeare Company.[42] McKellen starred in the British dramaScandal (1989) a fictionalised account of theProfumo affair that rocked the government of British prime ministerHarold Macmillan. McKellen portrayedJohn Profumo. The film starredJoanne Whalley, andJohn Hurt.[43] The film premiered at the1989 Cannes Film Festival and competed for thePalme d'Or. When his friend and colleague,Patrick Stewart, decided to accept the role ofCaptain Jean-Luc Picard in the American television series,Star Trek: The Next Generation, McKellen strongly advised him not to throw away his respected theatrical career to work in television. However, McKellen later conceded that Stewart had been prudent in accepting the role, which made him a global star and later followed his example such as co-starring with Stewart in theX-Mensuperhero film series.[44]
From 1990 to 1992, he acted in a world tour of a lauded revival ofRichard III, playing thetitle character. The production played at theBrooklyn Academy of Music for two weeks before continuing its tour where Frank Rich ofNew York Times was able to review it. In his piece, he praised McKellen's performance writing, "Mr McKellen's highly sophisticated sense of theatre and fun drives him to reveal the secrets of how he pulls his victims' strings whether he is addressing the audience in a soliloquy or not".[45] For his performance he received theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.[46]
In 1995, McKellen made his screenwriting debut withRichard III, an ambitious adaptation ofWilliam Shakespeare'splay of the same name, directed byRichard Loncraine.[53][54] The film reimagines the play's story and characters to a setting based on 1930s Britain, with Richard depicted as a fascist plotting to usurp the throne. McKellen stars in the title role alongside an ensemble cast includingAnnette Bening,Robert Downey Jr.,Jim Broadbent,Kristen Scott Thomas,Nigel Hawthorne andDame Maggie Smith. As executive producer he returned his £50,000 fee to complete the filming of the final battle.[55] In his review of the film,The Washington Post film critic Hal Hinson called McKellen's performance a "lethally flamboyant incarnation" and said his "florid mastery ... dominates everything".[56] Film criticRoger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times praised McKellen's adaptation and his performance in his four star review writing, "McKellen has a deep sympathy for the playwright ... Here he brings to Shakespeare's most tortured villain a malevolence we are moved to pity. No man should be so evil, and know it. Hitler and others were more evil, but denied out to themselves. There is no escape for Richard. He is one of the first self-aware characters in the theatre, and for that distinction he must pay the price".[57] His performance in the title role garneredBAFTA andGolden Globe nominations for Best Actor and won theEuropean Film Award for Best Actor.[58] His screenplay was nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.[59] That same year, he appeared in the historical dramaRestoration (1995) also starring Downey Jr., as well asMeg Ryan,Hugh Grant, andDavid Thewlis.[60] He appeared in the British romantic comedyJack and Sarah (1995) starringRichard E. Grant,Samantha Mathis, andJudi Dench.[61]
McKellen returned to the Broadway stage in 2001 in anAugust Strindberg playThe Dance of Death alongsideHelen Mirren andDavid Strathairn at theBroadhurst Theatre.The New York Times Theatre criticBen Brantley praised McKellen's performance writing, "[McKellen] returns to Broadway to serve up an Elysian concoction we get to sample too little these days: a mixture of heroic stage presence, actorly intelligence, and rarefied theatrical technique".[74] McKellen toured with the production at theLyric Theatre in London's West End and to the Sydney Art's Festival in Australia. On 16 March 2002, he hostedSaturday Night Live.[75]
In 2002 McKellen appeared in a solo performance at theBeverly Hills Canon Theatre, where he performed his personally written scene from a Shakespeare annex piece.[76]
He has appeared in limited release films, such asEmile (which was shot in three weeks following theX2 shoot),[80]Neverwas andAsylum. In 2006, he appeared as Sir Leigh Teabing inThe Da Vinci Code oppositeTom Hanks asRobert Langdon. During a 17 May 2006 interview onThe Today Show with theDa Vinci Code cast and directorRon Howard,Matt Lauer posed a question to the group about how they would have felt if the film had borne a prominent disclaimer that it is a work of fiction, as some religious groups wanted.[81] McKellen responded, "I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying 'This is fiction'. I mean, walking on water? It takes ... an act of faith. And I have faith in this movie—not that it's true, not that it's factual, but that it's a jolly good story". He continued, "And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction, and discuss the thing when they've seen it".[81]
McKellen reprised the role of Gandalf on screen in Peter Jackson's three-part film adaptation ofThe Hobbit starting withThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), followed byThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and finallyThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014).[94] Despite the series receiving mixed reviews, it emerged as a financial success. McKellen reprised his role as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto inJames Mangold'sThe Wolverine (2013), and Singer'sX-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). In November 2013, McKellen appeared in theDoctor Who 50th anniversary comedy homageThe Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.[95] From 2013 to 2016, McKellen co-starred in theITV sitcomVicious as Freddie Thornhill, alongsideDerek Jacobi. The series revolves around an elderly gay couple who have been together for 50 years.[96][97] The show's original title was "Vicious Old Queens". There are ongoing jokes about McKellen's career as a relatively unsuccessful character actor who owns a tux because he stole it after doing a guest spot on "Downton Abbey" and that he holds the title of "10th Most Popular 'Doctor Who' Villain". Liz Shannon Miller ofIndieWire noted that while the concept seemed "weird as hell", "Once you come to accept McKellen and Jacobi in a multi-camera format, there is a lot to respect about their performances; specifically, the way that those decades of classical training adapt themselves to the sitcom world. Much has been written before about how the tradition of the multi-cam, filmed in front of a studio audience, relates to theatre, and McKellen and Jacobi know how to play to a live crowd".[98]
In 2015, McKellen reunited with director Bill Condon playing an elderlySherlock Holmes in the mystery filmMr. Holmes alongsideLaura Linney. In the film based on the novelA Slight Trick of the Mind (2005), Holmes now 93, struggles to recall the details of his final case because his mind is slowly deteriorating. The film premiered at the65th Berlin International Film Festival with McKellen receiving acclaim for his performance.Rolling Stone film criticPeter Travers praised his performance writing, "Don't think you can take another Hollywood version of Sherlock Holmes? Snap out of it. Apologies to Robert Downey Jr. andBenedict Cumberbatch, but what Ian McKellen does with Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective in Mr Holmes is nothing short of magnificent ... Director Bill Condon, who teamed superbly with McKellen on the Oscar-winning Gods and Monsters, brings us a riveting character study of a lion not going gentle into winter".[99] In October 2015, McKellen appeared as Norman toAnthony Hopkins's Sir in aBBC Two production ofRonald Harwood'sThe Dresser, alongsideEdward Fox,Vanessa Kirby, andEmily Watson.[100] Television critic Tim Goodman ofThe Hollywood Reporter praised the film and the central performances writing, "there's no escaping that Hopkins and McKellen are the central figures here, giving wonderfully nuanced performances, onscreen together for their first time in their acclaimed careers".[101] For his performance McKellen received aBritish Academy Television Award nomination for his performance.[102]
McKellen in 2019
In 2017, McKellen portrayed in a supporting role asCogsworth (originally voiced byDavid Ogden Stiers in the1991 animated film) in the live-action adaptation ofDisney'sBeauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon (which marked the third collaboration between Condon and McKellen, afterGods and Monsters andMr. Holmes) and co-starred alongsideEmma Watson andDan Stevens.[103] The film was released to positive reviews and grossed $1.2billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing live-action musical film, thesecond highest-grossing film of 2017, and the17th highest-grossing film of all time.[104][105][106] In 2017, McKellen appeared in the documentaryMcKellen: Playing the Part, directed by director Joe Stephenson. The documentary explores McKellen's life and career as an actor.[107]
McKellen and his first partner, Brian Taylor, a history teacher fromBolton, began their relationship in 1964.[129] Their relationship lasted for eight years, ending in 1972.[130] They lived inEarls Terrace, Kensington, London, where McKellen continued to pursue his career as an actor.[130] In 1978, he met his second partner,Sean Mathias, at theEdinburgh Festival. This relationship lasted until 1988, and according to Mathias, it was tempestuous, with conflicts over McKellen's success in acting versus Mathias's somewhat less-successful career. The two remained friends, with Mathias later directing McKellen inWaiting for Godot at theTheatre Royal Haymarket in 2009. The pair entered into a business partnership withEvgeny Lebedev, purchasing the lease ofThe Grapes public house in Narrow Street.[131] As of 2005, McKellen had been living inNarrow Street,Limehouse, for more than 25 years, more than a decade of which had been spent in a five-storey Victorian house.[132]
He was diagnosed withprostate cancer in 2006.[138] In 2012, he stated on his blog that "There is no cause for alarm. I am examined regularly and the cancer is contained. I've not needed any treatment".[139] He registered as a marriage officiant in early 2013[140] to preside over the marriage of his friend andX-Men co-starPatrick Stewart to the singerSunny Ozell.[141]
While McKellen had made hissexual orientation known to fellow actors early on in his stage career, it was not until 1988 that hecame out to the general public while appearing on theBBC Radio programmeThird Ear hosted by conservative journalistPeregrine Worsthorne.[145] The context that prompted McKellen's decision, overriding any concerns about a possible negative effect on his career, was that the controversialSection 28 of theLocal Government Act 1988, was then under consideration in theBritish Parliament.[24] Section 28 proposed prohibiting local authorities from promoting homosexuality "... as a kind of pretended family relationship".[146][24][147] McKellen has stated that he was influenced in his decision by the advice and support of his friends, among them noted gay authorArmistead Maupin.[24] In a 1998 interview that discusses the 29th anniversary of theStonewall riots, McKellen commented,
I have many regrets about not having come out earlier, but one of them might be that I didn't engage myself in the politicking.[148]
He has said of this period:
My own participating in that campaign was a focus for people [to] take comfort that if Ian McKellen was on board for this, perhaps it would be all right for other people to be as well, gay and straight.[17]
In 2003, during an appearance onHave I Got News For You, McKellen claimed when he visitedMichael Howard, thenEnvironment Secretary (responsible for local government), in 1988 to lobby against Section 28, Howard refused to change his position but did ask him to leave an autograph for his children. McKellen agreed, but wrote, "Fuck off, I'm gay".[149][150] McKellen described Howard's junior ministers, ConservativesDavid Wilshire andJill Knight, who were the architects of Section 28, as the 'ugly sisters' of a political pantomime.[151]
McKellen has continued to be very active inLGBT rights efforts. In a statement on his website regarding his activism, the actor commented:
I have been reluctant to lobby on other issues I most care about—nuclear weapons (against), religion (atheist), capital punishment (anti), AIDS (fund-raiser) because I never want to be forever spouting, diluting the impact of addressing my most urgent concern: legal and social equality for gay people worldwide.[152]
In 1994, at the closing ceremony of theGay Games, he briefly took the stage to address the crowd, saying, "I'm Sir Ian McKellen, but you can call me Serena": This nickname, given to him byStephen Fry, had been circulating within the gay community since McKellen's knighthood was conferred.[17] In 2002, he was the Celebrity Grand Marshal of theSan Francisco Pride Parade[154] and he attended the Academy Awards with his then-boyfriend, New Zealander Nick Cuthell. In 2006, McKellen spoke at the pre-launch of the 2007 LGBT History Month in the UK, lending his support to the organisation and its founder,Sue Sanders.[7] In 2007, he became a patron ofThe Albert Kennedy Trust, an organisation that provides support to young, homeless and troubled LGBT people.[6]
In 2006, he became a patron of Oxford Pride, stating:
I send my love to all members of Oxford Pride, their sponsors and supporters, of which I am proud to be one ... Onlookers can be impressed by our confidence and determination to be ourselves and gay people, of whatever age, can be comforted by the occasion to take the first steps towards coming out and leaving the closet forever behind.[155]
McKellen has taken his activism internationally, and caused a major stir in Singapore, where he was invited to do an interview on a morning show and shocked the interviewer by asking if they could recommend him agay bar; the programme immediately ended.[156] In December 2008, he was named inOut's annual Out 100 list.[157]
In 2010, McKellen extended his support forLiverpool'sHomotopia festival in which a group of gay and lesbianMerseyside teenagers helped to produce an anti-homophobia campaign pack for schools and youth centres across the city.[158] In May 2011, he calledSergey Sobyanin, Moscow's mayor, a "coward" for refusing to allow gay parades in the city.[159]
In 2014, he was named in the top 10 on the World Pride Power list.[160]
In April 2010, along with actorsBrian Cox andEleanor Bron, McKellen appeared in a series of TV advertisements to supportAge UK, the charity recently formed from the merger ofAge Concern andHelp the Aged. All three actors gave their time free of charge.[161]
A cricket fan since childhood, McKellen umpired in March 2011 for a charity cricket match in New Zealand to support earthquake victims of theFebruary 2011 Christchurch earthquake.[162][163]
McKellen is an honorary board member for the New York City- and Washington, D.C.–based organisation Only Make Believe.[164] Only Make Believe creates and performs interactive plays in children's hospitals and care facilities. He was honoured by the organisation in 2012[165] and hosted their annual Make Believe on Broadway Gala in November 2013.[166]
McKellen also has a history of supporting individual theatres. While in New Zealand filmingThe Hobbit in 2012, he announced a special New Zealand tour "Shakespeare, Tolkien and You!", with proceeds going to help save theIsaac Theatre Royal, which suffered extensive damage during the2011 Christchurch earthquake. McKellen said he opted to help save the building as it was the last theatre he played in New Zealand (Waiting for Godot in 2010) and the locals' love for it made it a place worth supporting.[167] In July 2017, he performed a new one-man show for a week atPark Theatre (London), donating the proceeds to the theatre.[168]
Together with a number of hisLord of the Rings co-stars (plus writer Philippa Boyens and director Peter Jackson), on 1 June 2020 McKellen joinedJosh Gad's YouTube seriesReunited Apart which reunites the cast of popular movies through video-conferencing, and promotes donations to non-profit charities.[169]
A friend ofIan Charleson and an admirer of his work, McKellen contributed an entire chapter toFor Ian Charleson: A Tribute.[170] A recording of McKellen's voice is heard before performances at theRoyal Festival Hall, reminding patrons to ensure their mobile phones and watch alarms are switched off and to keep coughing to a minimum.[171][172] He took part in the2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony in London asProspero from Shakespeare'sThe Tempest.[93]
^abcSteele, Bruce C. (11 December 2001)."The Knight's Crusade".The Advocate. pp. 36–38,40–45. Archived fromthe original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved16 February 2009.
^Adams, Stephen (30 November 2009)."McKellen about his stepmother".The Daily Telegraph. London.Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved8 January 2014.
^Panoptic Artifex – Christopher Baima & Greg Sweet (15 September 2013)."Honorary Board". Only Make Believe. Archived fromthe original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved5 January 2014.
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