Ian McKellen
FameRank: 6

"Sir Ian Murray McKellen", is an English actor. He is the recipient of six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a British Independent Film Awards/BIF Award, two Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor/Saturn Awards, four Drama Desk Awards and two Critics' Choice Movie Award/Critics' Choice Awards. He has also received two Academy Awards/Academy Award nominations, four BAFTA nominations and five Primetime Emmy Awards/Emmy Award nominations. McKellen's work spans genres ranging from William Shakespeare/Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. His notable film roles include Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings (film series)/The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (film series)/The Hobbit trilogies and Magneto (comics)/Magneto in the X-Men (film series)/X-Men films.

McKellen was appointed Order of the British Empire/Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1979, was Knight Bachelor/knighted in 1991 for services to the performing arts, and was made a Order of the Companions of Honour/Companion of Honour for services to drama and to equality, in the 2008 New Year Honours. He was made a Freedom of the City/Freeman of the City of London in October 2014.

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I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction.

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Before acting, I wanted to become a journalist. I also toyed with the idea of being a chef - but that's only when people asked me what I wanted to be. In fact, I always used to say I wanted to be an actor, but I didn't ever believe that I was good enough to be come one.

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It may be my rather puritanical upbringing at odds with my inborn laziness that makes me feel guilty at the end of the day, unless I am able to point at some achievement. But this need be no more impressive than cooking a meal or going for a long walk.

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I have never wanted to be typecast, one of those actors who plays a variation on a one-note theme. So just as I enjoy playing a wide variety of characters, from good to bad to ugly to cute - so I have enjoyed of late working in film and television, as well as in theatres of various sizes and shapes.

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If you've got Mystique as your girlfriend the fun you could have in bed - I've just imagined X-Men 3 might open with me in bed with Patrick Stewart.

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It's only fair that stable gay relationships of long standing should have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples. I know the image of gay marriage is to some people horrific and ludicrous.

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I think the point to be understood is that we're all different. I've never been a fan of theories of acting. I didn't go to drama school, so I was never put through a training that was limited by someone saying, 'This is the way you should act.'

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It was wrongly assumed that I wished to become some sort of leader among gay activists, whereas in reality I was happier to be a foot soldier.

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That was the big effect Lord of the Rings had on me. It was discovering New Zealand. And even more precious were the people- not at all like the Australians.

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I don't make much distinction between being a stand-up comic and acting Shakespeare - in fact, unless you're a good comedian, you're never going to be able to play Hamlet properly.

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