بخشی از بیوگرافی :

On May 25th, 1939, in the town of Burnley in northern England, Ian Murray McKellen was born. His parents, Denis and Margery, soon moved with Ian and his sister Jean to the coal mining town of Wigan. It was in this small town that young Ian rode out World War II. He soon developed a fascination with acting and the theater, which was encouraged by his parents. They would all bring him to plays, those by William Shakespeare, in particular. The amateur school productions fostered Ian's growing passion for theatre. When Ian was of age to begin attending school, he made sure to get roles in all of the productions. At Bolton School in particular, he developed his skills early on. Indeed, his first role in a Shakespearian play was at Bolton, as Malvolio in "Twelfth Night". Ian soon began attending Stratford-upon-Avon theater festivals, where he saw the greats perform: Laurence Olivier, Wendy Hiller, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson and Paul Robeson. He continued his education in English Drama, but soon it fell by the wayside as he concentrated more and more on performing. He eventually obtained his Bachelor of Arts in 1961, and began his career in earnest. McKellen began working in theatre over the next few years. Very few people knew of Ian's homosexuality; he saw no reason to go public, nor had he told his family. They did not seem interested in the subject and so he saw no reason to bring it up. In 1988, Ian publicly came out of the closet on the BBC Radio 4 program, while discussing Margaret Thatcher's "section 28" legislation which would make the "public promotion of homosexuality" a crime. It was reason enough for McKellen to take a stand, and he has been active in the Gay Rights movement ever since.

Ian currently resides in Limehouse, where he lives with his current lover of 8 years, Sean Mathias. The two worked together on the film Bent (1997). To this day, McKellen works mostly in theater, and was knighted by 'Queen Elizabeth' in 1990 for his efforts in the arts. However, he has managed to make several quite successful forays into film. He has appeared in several productions of Shakespeare's works including his well received Richard III (1995), and in a variety of other movies. However, it has only been recently that his star has finally begun to shine in the eyes of North American audiences. Roles in various films, Cold Comfort Farm (1995) (TV), Apt Pupil (1998) and Gods and Monsters (1998), riveted audiences. The latter, in particular, created a sensation in Hollywood, and McKellen's role garnered him several of awards and nominations,including a Golden Globe and an Oscar nod. McKellen continues to work extensively on stage... solidifying his role as Laurence Olivier's worthy successor,having recently scored hits in the London productions of "Peter Pan" and Noel Coward's "Present Laughter".

فیلموگرافی:

Stardust (2007)
Flushed Away (voice) (2006)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Displaced (voice) (2006)
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Neverwas (2005)
Coronation Street (TV series, 10 episodes) (2005)
Asylum (2005)
The Magic Roundabout (2005)
Eighteen (Voice) (2004)
Emile (2004)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
The Simpsons (TV series, one episode, voice) (2003)
Churchill (TV, narrator) (2003)
X-Men 2 (2003)
Inside The Actors' Studio (TV series, one episode, as himself) (2002)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Everest: View From The Top (TV, narrator) (2002)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
The Oliviers In Love (TV, narrator) (2001)
X-Men (2000)
Cirque Du Soleil: Journey Of Man (narrator) (2000)
Great Composers (TV series, voice) (1999)
David Copperfield (TV) (1999)
Apt Pupil (1998)
Gods And Monsters (1998)
Bent (1997)
Swept From The Sea (1997)
A Bit Of Scarlet (narrator) (1997)
Surviving Friendly Fire (narrator) (1997)
Rasputin (TV) (1996)
Restoration (1995)
Richard III (1995)
Jack And Sarah (1995)
Anglia At War (TV series, voice) (1995)
Thin Ice (1995)
Cold Comfort Farm (TV miniseries) (1995)
I'll Do Anything (1994)
To Die For (voice) (1994)
The Shadow (1994)
The Ballad Of Little Jo (1993)
Six Degrees Of Separation (1993)
Mister Shaw's Missing Millions (TV) (1993)
And The Band Played On (TV) (1993)
The Last Action Hero (1993)
Armistead Maupin's Tales Of The City (TV miniseries) (1993)
Countdown To War (TV) (1989)
Scandal (1989)
Windmills Of The Gods (TV) (1988)
Othello (TV) (1988)
Suleyman The Magnificent (TV, narrator) (1987)
Walter And June (TV) (1986)
The Witches (TV) (1986)
Loving Walter (TV) (1986)
Zina (1985)
Plenty (1985)
Ian McKellen Acting Shakespeare (TV miniseries) (1985)
Ian McKellen's Diary Of A Year (TV) (1985)
The Keep (1983)
Dying Day (TV) (1982)
Walter (TV) (1982)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (TV) (1982)
Priest Of Love (1981)
Amud Ha'Esh (TV miniseries, narrator) (1979)
Macbeth (TV) (1979)
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (TV) (1978)
Graceless Go I (TV) (1973)
Craven Arms (Country Matters) (TV) (1973)
The Recruiting Officer (TV) (1973)
Hamlet (TV) (1972)
Hedda Gabler (TV) (1972)
Edward II (TV) (1970)
The Tragedy Of King Richard II (TV) (1970)
Ross (TV) (1970)
Keats (TV) (1970)
What If It's Just Green Cheese? (TV) (1969)
A Touch Of Love (1969)
Alfred The Great (1969)
The Promise (1968)
Hay Fever (TV) (1968)
David Copperfield (TV miniseries) (1966)
The Trial And Torture Of John Rampayne (TV) (1965)
Sunday Out Of Season (TV) (1965)
Kipling (TV series, one episode) (1964)