Age: 87
male
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an British and American actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cultural icon and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. He has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, six Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards and five Emmy Awards. McKellen made his stage debut in 1961 at the Belgrade Theatre as a member of its repertory company, and in 1965 made his first West End appearance. In 1969, he was invited to join the Prospect Theatre Company to play the lead parts in Shakespeare's Richard II and Marlowe's Edward II. In the 1970s, McKellen became a stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain. He has earned five Olivier Awards for his roles in Pillars of the Community (1977), The Alchemist (1978), Bent (1979), Wild Honey (1984), and Richard III (1995). McKellen made his Broadway debut in The Promise (1965). He received the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus (1980). He was further nominated for Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare (1984). He returned to Broadway in Wild Honey(1986), Dance of Death (1990), No Man's Land (2013), and Waiting for Godot (2013), the latter two being a joint production with Patrick Stewart. McKellen achieved worldwide fame for his film roles, including the titular King in Richard III(1995), James Whale in Gods and Monsters (1998), Magneto in the X-Men films, Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) trilogies. Other notable film roles include A Touch of Love (1969), Plenty (1985), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Restoration (1995), Flushed Away (2006), Mr. Holmes (2015), and The Good Liar (2019). McKellen came out as gay in 1988, and has since championed LGBT social movements worldwide. He was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in October 2014. McKellen is a cofounder of Stonewall, an LGBT rights lobby group in the United Kingdom, named after the Stonewall riots. He is also patron of LGBT History Month, Pride London, Oxford Pride, GayGlos, LGBT Foundation and FFLAG. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ian McKellen, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Ian McKellen
Stefan the Great
for Stefan the Great in Vlad: The Blood and the Cross (2024)
Suggested by kaueoliveira
In the dark and turbulent landscape of 15th-century Wallachia, "Vlad: The Blood and the Cross" follows the storied life of Vlad the Impaler, a nobleman whose fierce resolve and brutal tactics earned him both fear and reverence. Driven by a deep-seated desire to protect his homeland from the encroaching Ottoman Empire and to avenge the death of his family, Vlad’s journey is one of relentless warfare, strategic cunning, and internal torment. As he rises to power, his ruthless methods—impaling his enemies to instill fear and maintain order—become legendary, turning him into a figure of both terror and awe. The film explores Vlad’s complex relationships, particularly with his brother Radu, whose contrasting path of diplomacy and betrayal creates a poignant dichotomy. His love for Queen Mircea and the struggles with his own humanity and faith further deepen the narrative. As Vlad’s grip on power tightens, he faces relentless enemies and haunting visions of his past, leading to a climactic battle that will define his legacy and challenge the very essence of his soul. Through breathtaking visuals and a haunting score, "Vlad: The Blood and the Cross" paints a vivid portrait of a man torn between his brutal methods and his quest for redemption.
