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Romeo and Juliet
Ian McKellen played in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of "Romeo and Juliet". Ian casting as Romeo, and Francesca Annis casting as Juliet. This play was written by Willliam Shakespeare whose story is about a tragedy of two young lovers. Who come from Montagues and the Capulets who both fall in love and isn't allowed by families. This play is Shakespear's most works. In which it encounters the sense of love, violence, and drama.
Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet -
Early life
Ian Murray McKellen is currently 84 years old who was born
Burnley, Lancashire, England.
English actor with a career span of 7 decades. Screen and stage actor. Playing in Shakespear dramas, The Lord of the Rings, and "X"-Men
Fun Fact: Knighted in 1991 by Queen Elizabeth II
Tony Award, six Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, five BAFTA Awards and five Emmy Awards.
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McKellen -
Family
Ian McKellen's parents are Margery Lois and Denis Murray McKellen. And has a second sister named Jean. Ian's father was a preacher and civil engineer. And mother was a homemaker. Unfortunately, in 1951 mother died from breast cancer. Later 12 years later father died in a car accident.
Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McKellen -
Early Theater stage
Ian McKellen moved to Bolton in 1951. Attends school there and his acting career begins when he attends Bolton little Theater. The theater major interest in serious drama. Bolton Little Theatre is a registered charity located at Hanover Street. And established in 1931. Was encouraged by his family to join and he would attend many Shakespear plays.
Resource: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/discoveries/ian-mckellen-family-tree -
The Lord of the Rings
He was casted as the wizard Gandalf. He received the Screen Actors Guild Award for best supporting actor, as well as an Academy Award nomination. McKellen agreed to reprise the role in Jackson's follow-up trilogy, The Hobbit, the first installment of which was released in December 2012. -
St catherine's College
Ian attended St Catherine's College, Cambridge, where he peruses to learn English literature, performing in plays such as Henry IV, Cymbeline, and Doctor Faustus. Attending sparked his passion for his career in theater and film. He became a member of Marlowe Society in helping promote Christophers playwrights. -
Military
National service, after school at the age of 19. Tried following the same paths as father and his grandparent.
Resources: https://mckellen.com/stage/00117.htm#:~:text=Words%20from%20Ian%20McKellen&text=I%20had%20been%20called%20up,my%20three%20years%20at%20university. -
Personal
Ian partner was Brain Taylor in which he was his history teacher in Balton and ended their relationship 1972. And they lived in Earls Terrace, Kensington, London, where Ian would still continue his career.
Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McKellen#Charity_work -
The Promise
Play written by Aleksei Arbuzov. Ian performed in the original production at the Fortune Theatre in London's West End. He played the role as Leonidik, one of main characters. This play is during the WW2 and follows the lives of three young friends, Leonidik, Lika, and Marat. They interpret love, friendship, and survival of this time. This production endorse hope, power, and endorsing adversity.
Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Promise_(1965_play) -
The Promise
The story follows a young woman and two young men from their first meeting in a derelict room during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II; through the woman's marriage to one of the men, who turns out to be the "wrong" one; then finally to a new start with the "right" one.
Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Promise_(1965_play) -
"The White Liars" and "Black Comedy"
He performed in the production at the Lyric Theatre in London West End, featuring two one-act plays by Peter Shaffer. In this play Ian plays the role of Tom, a spiritualist who cons wealthy clients and this play revolves around Tom's tricks and wickedness. This production encounters illusion, deception, and about the truth. -
Edward II
In this 1970 production, Ian McKellen plays in Marlowe's productions, the role as Edward the II, where this production streamed the first British gay kiss to be aired in British tv. That kiss led to his discover and sprout of his sexuality as coming out to be gay and he had reflected that he was grateful for that kiss.
Resource: https://people.com/movies/ian-mckellens-life-in-pictures/ -
Royal Shakespear / Royal theatre
where he played several leading Shakespearean roles, here are the following from: He played roles of Lady Wishfort's Footman, Kruschov, and Edgar in the William Congreve comedy The Way of the World, Anton Chekov's comedic three-act play The Wood Demon and William Shakespeare tragedy King Lear. And furthermore, the next years to come.
Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McKellen#1965%E2%80%931985:_National_Theatre_acclaim -
Amadeus Tony Award
Was awarded Tony Awards for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. This is a play by Peter Shaffer which gives a fictional account of the lives of composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, first performed in 1979.
Resource:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadeus_(play)
https://people.com/movies/ian-mckellens-life-in-pictures/ -
Process of Acting
Ian went to Broadway in the revival of Anton Chekhov's first play Wild Honey alongside Kim Cattrall and Kate Burton. The play concerned a local Russian schoolteacher who struggles to remain faithful to his wife, despite the attention of three other women.
Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McKellen#Personal_life -
Activism
Ian is a prominent gay right activist. Ian had announced he was gay man in 1988. He cofounded a LGBTQ lobby in the United Kingdom named Stonewall after 1969 riot. Some of his friends call him by his nickname "Serena." McKellen and "Jacobi served as the grand marshals of the annual New York City Gay Pride Parade."
Resources: https://www.biography.com/actors/ian-mckellen -
X-Man
Ian McKellen plays as the character Magneto. Character is based on a Marvel Comics. In which he is a villain. Casted in The Da Vinci Code (2006).
Resources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ian-McKellen -
Diagnosed with Cancer
McKellen was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006 and fought the disease for 6 years!
Resources:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McKellen#Personal_life -
lowest-rated movie is "Doogal"
In this animated comedy movie, there is a dog named Doogal and a bunch of misfit toys and it's to prevent an evil sorcerer from freezing the earth.
In the movie, McKellen voiced Zebedee, a wizard who helps the friends on their quest.
Critics agreed that both the animation and story seemed hastily slapped together. Ans was rated 8% on rotten tomatoes. -
Charity Works
Helped the Aged, in April along accompanied with along with actors Brian Cox and Eleanor Bron. In which they gave their time free of charge to support the elders. He would also help out in children's hospitals. This was possible through the Only Make Believe." He also supported individual theatres.
Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McKellen#Charity_work -
Quote
“Try and understand what part you have to play in the world in which you live.”