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
act stars
Why do you act? You act for an audience. In the theatre, you're in their presence. Film stars don't know what it is to have an audience.
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.
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.
british famous good middle strength theatre
The strength of British theatre should be that these actors in their middle years know what they're doing and are good at it. Not rich, not famous, but making a living.
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.
good tolkien
Tolkien is as good as Dickens at sketching a scene.
allowed extremely later leading movies parts popular situation time worry
To be allowed for the first time in your later career to play leading parts in extremely popular movies is not a situation to worry about.
work
I got better as an actor, and still I'm getting better. That's only been possible because there's always been work.
people
I don't think many people will re-read 'The Da Vinci Code.'
I don't have Gandalf the White's certainty about everything.
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.
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.
Gandalf saves the world and saves the soul of the world, really.
rather
Gandalf is in Middle-earth to keep an eye on everybody, and that can be a rather serious matter.