Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has won multiple Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is known for film roles such as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Magneto in the X-Men films, and as Sir Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code. McKellen was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1979, was knighted in 1991 for services to the performing arts, and was made a Companion... of Honour for services to drama and to equality, in the 2008 New Year Honours. McKellen was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England, though he spent most of his early life in Wigan. Born shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the experience had some lasting impact on him. In response to an interview question when an interviewer remarked that he seemed quite calm in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks, he said: "Well, darling, you forget — I slept under a steel plate until I was four years old.
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| Birthdate: | May 25, 1939 |
| Birthplace: | Burnley |
| Age: | 72 |
| Height: | 5' 11" |
| Education: | St Catharine's College, Cambridge, Cambridge University |
| Religion: | Atheism |
| Also known as: | Ian Murray McKellen, Ian McKellen, ian_mckellen |