Ian Mckellen
Ian Mckellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBEis 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 BIF Award, two Saturn Awards, four Drama Desk Awards and two Critics' Choice Awards. He has also received two Academy Award nominations, four BAFTA nominations and five Emmy Award nominations...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth25 May 1939
CityBurnley, England
happened life primarily public
Anyone in public life who comes out, comes out primarily for themselves, and their life is immediately improved. That's what happened to me.
great liberal school tradition
Bolton School has a great tradition in the liberal arts.
far freedom offers people
Capitalism offers you freedom, but far from giving people freedom, it enslaves them.
hope written
Eventually, before I die, I hope to have written about every part I've played.
acting constant side time work worry
Every time you work is a challenge. There's a constant worry about it, and it's a side of acting I don't like.
life
Gandalf is ever-present in my life. I like it.
rather
Gandalf is in Middle-earth to keep an eye on everybody, and that can be a rather serious matter.
bit guy particular whereas
Gandalf the Grey was always the guy I prefer. Gandalf the White was driven to do a particular job, whereas Gandalf the Grey is a bit more humane.
act portraying pretend
How do I act so well? What I do is I pretend to be the person I'm portraying in the film or play.
people
I don't think many people will re-read 'The Da Vinci Code.'
work
I got better as an actor, and still I'm getting better. That's only been possible because there's always been work.
analysis lear supposed time understanding
I used to think 'King Lear' was an analysis of insanity, but I don't really think it is. When Lear is supposed to be at his most insane, he is actually understanding the world for the first time.
absolutely age agree knows lots lucky people taxi walk whereas work younger
When you grumble about a taxi being dirty, people your own age will absolutely agree with you, whereas younger people say, 'You should be so lucky to have a taxi - I walk to work!' So I have lots of young friends, who fortunately don't treat me as a guru, a person that knows all the answers.
brilliant consistency heat low preferred seasoning secret spoon stirring until
I'm brilliant at cooking my stepmother's scrambled egg recipe. The secret is to put eggs, butter, milk, and seasoning together in the saucepan, and to keep stirring with a wooden spoon under a low heat until the preferred consistency is reached.