Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE (born 25 May 1939), is an English actor of stage and screen. He has received a Tony Award and two Academy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is known to many for roles such as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and as Magneto in the X-Men films.

THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE: King Lear / The Seagull Dir Trevor Nunn (RSC); The Cut Dir Michael Grandage (Donmar); Aladdin Dir Sean Mathias (Old Vic); Dance Of Death Dir Sean Mathias; The Seagull/Present Laughter/The Tempest (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Enemy Of The People (Royal National Theatre/Ahmandson Theatre – LA); Peter Pan (Royal National Theatre); A Knight Out (UK Tour, Broadway And South Africa); Uncle Vanya (Royal National Theatre); Napoli Milionaria (Royal National Theatre); King Lear (Royal National Theatre, UK And World Tour); Richard III (Royal National Theatre, UK And World Tour); Bent (Royal National Theatre & Garrick); Henceforward (Vaudeville); Wild Honey (Nyc); The Cherry Orchard (Royal National Theatre); The Real Inspector Hound (Royal National Theatre); The Duchess Of Malfi (Royal National Theatre); Coriolanus (Royal National Theatre); Wild Honey (Royal National Theatre); Venice Preserv'd (Royal National Theatre); Amadeus (Broadhurst, New York); Acting Shakespeare (1978-1988 World Tours).

Extensive work with the RSC including: Doctor Faustus; The Marquis Of Keith; King John; Too Good To Be True; Romeo And Juliet; The Winter's Tale (1976/77); Macbeth (1976/77); The Alchemist (1976/77); Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1977); Three Sisters (1978); Twelfth Night (1978); Is There Still Honey For Tea? (1978); Othello (1989).

Television: Extras (BBC); Coronation Street (Granada); Rasputin (HBO/Uli Edel * Golden Globe Winner); Cold Comfort Farm (BBC/Thames Dir: John Schlesinger); And The Band Played On (HBO/Roger Spotsiwoode); Tales Of The City (Channel 4/Alastair Stewart); Mister Shaw's Missing Millions (Channel 4/David Giles); Countdown To War (Granada/Patrick Lau); Othello (CBS/Trevor Nunn); Windmill Of The Gods (CBS); Suleyman The Magnificant (PBS); Ian Mckellen's Diary (PBS/South Bank Show); Ian Mckellen Acting Shakespeare (Suskind-PBS/Sean Mathias & Kirk Browning); Walter; Walter And June; Loving Walter (Central TV For Channel 4/Stephen Frears); The Scarlett Pimpernel (CBS/Clive Donner); Dying Day (PBS/TV And Masterpiece Theatre/Robert Tronson); Macbeth (BBC Masterpiece Theatre And Cable TV/Trevor Nunn); Hedda Gabler (BBC Masterpiece Theatre/Waris Hussein); The Recruiting Officer (BBC/David Giles); Graceless Go I (HTV/Patrick Dromgoole); The Last Journey (Granada/Peter Potter); Hamlet (CBS Cable/David Giles); Keats (BBC/Joan Craft); Ross (BBC/Cedric Messina); Richard II (BBC/Toby Robertson); Edward II (BBC, Masterpiece Theatre/Richard Marquand); So What If It's Green Cheese? (BBC); David Copperfield (BBC); The Trial And Torture Of Sir John Rampayne (BBC); Sunday Out Of Season (ATV); Kipling (BBC).

Film: Stardust; X Men III, The Da Vinci Code; Never Was; Asylum; Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King; Emile; X-Men II; Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers; Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings; X Men; Apt Pupil; Gods And Monsters; Bent; Richard III (Star/Co-Screenplay Writer/Exec. Producer); Restoration; Jack And Sarah; The Shadow; Six Degrees Of Separation; Last Action Hero; I'll Do Anything; The Ballad Of Little Jo; Scandal; Plenty; Zina; The Keep; Priest Of Love; Alfred The Great; A Touch Of Love/Thank You All Very Much.

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.