Sir Ian McKellen is one of the greatest actors of all time, and comic book and sci-fi/fantasy fans have been blessed to watch him play two iconic characters.
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McKellen is best known to science fiction and fantasy fans for his roles as X-Men villain Magneto and Lord of The Rings wizard Gandalf.
As Magneto, McKellen has starred in X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. As Gandalf, McKellen has starred in all of Peter Jackson’s Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit films.
Outside of the X-Men and Lord of The Rings franchises, McKellen has starred in The Da Vinci Code, Apt Pupil, The Prisoner TV mini-series, Gods and Monsters, and The Last Action Hero. He is also a highly respected stage actor, and even scored a knighthood from the Queen of England. McKellen has been nominated for Best Actor Oscars twice.
Born in Lancashire, England, McKellen turns 77 today. Happy Birthday, Ian McKellen!
