Ian McKellen As GandalfThe folks over at Rottentomatos.com have produced a fun list of the most memorable movie wizards. Can you guess who is number one? The following ten appeared in the list, so we suggest making your own rankings and heading over to Rottentomatos for comparisons. Then, give us your thoughts on our message boards and help explain how Saruman didn’t make the cut. (Editor’s note: Tim the Enchanter was robbed!)
Wizard – film
Akiro – Conan the Barbarian
Dumbledore – Harry Potter
Gandalf – LOTR trilogy
High Aldwin – Willow
Lo-Pan – Big Trouble in Little China
Merlin – Excalibur
Miracle Max – The Princess Bride
Tim the Enchanter – Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Ulrich – Dragonslayer
Wizard of Oz – The Wizard of Oz

London, June 6 : ‘Lord of the Rings’ star Sir Ian McKellen has called for playwrights to create more stage and screen roles for older actresses. McKellen backed a campaign by actors’ union Equity, which called on broadcasters to change their attitudes towards actresses aged over 45, in a bid to revive the British theatre and television. Over 4,000 people, including Julie Walters and Harry Potter actress Imelda Staunton, have signed a petition supporting the cause. Sir Ian McKellen urges for more roles for mature actresses

Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE (born 25 May 1939), is an English actor of stage and screen, the recipient of the Tony Award and two Academy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is known to many for roles such as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and as Magneto in the X-Men films.

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1979, and knighted in the 1991 New Year Honours for his outstanding work and contributions to the theatre. In the 2008 New Year Honours he was made a Companion of Honour (CH) for services to drama and to equality.

In 1988, he came out as gay and became a founding member of Stonewall, one of the United Kingdom’s most influential LGBT rights groups, of which he remains a prominent spokesman. www.mckellen.com

During my association with TheOneRing.net I have often felt very fortunate to know great people and be in great places. Sometimes I have been lucky enough to have my camera along.

Out of that vast TORn photo library that includes digital images, and old scratched negitives, I put a few images together with some music from Arjan Kiel, (with thanks to fan film ‘Born of Hope,’) to pay tribute to the whole community of TheOneRing.net.

Click on the small triangle to play and to see the best fullscreen version, click on the box at the far right.

HOLLYWOOD giant Sir Ian McKellen offers tips to up and coming hopefuls. The Oscar-nominated superstar, who treads the boards tonight alongside Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot, made a secret visit at the People’s Theatre, Newcastle, yesterday. Sir Ian was given a tour of the Heaton-based theatre where he stopped by to watch rehearsals for forthcoming John Godber play Teechers. Sir Ian McKellen offers tips to acting hopefuls