Sir Ian McKellen”Lord of the Rings” fans, don’t expect the highly anticipated “The Hobbit” prequel to be another “Lord of the Rings.” Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the trilogy, will return for “The Hobbit,” but said his approach won’t be that of reprising a character he’s played before. He’ll instead be reacting to the new material with a fresh perspective on his character.
“We’re not remaking the ‘Lord of the Rings,’ we’re going to do ‘The Hobbit’ and what Gandalf has to do in that will be different line by line, scene by scene than the trilogy,” McKellen told writers at the TV Critics Press Tour in Hollywood. “All that’s going back to the character. It’s going back to a whole new set of circumstances.” McKellen: ‘Hobbit’ Won’t Be ‘Rings’ Remake
Daniel Fienberg sends this along: What better way to kick off this January’s Television Critics Association press tour than with Sir Ian McKellen discussing his upcoming Great Performances version of “King Lear,” which he acknowledges is generally a career-capping role for most Shakespearean actors. “If, like me, you’ve worked your way through Shakespeare as an actor, waiting up there is King Lear and beyond him a shadowy Prospero maybe or a Falstaff,” says McKellen, who admits to being terrified of Falstaff. McKellen adds, “It’s the challenge. It’s the expectation that it will complete your journey through Shakespeare.” Of course, no matter how much acclaim McKellen gets for his stage work, he knows that he’ll always be recognized in the street for something different. Press Tour: King Lear is semi-nude and Gandalf may be gay
Sir Ian McKellenSir Ian McKellen is to return to the role of Walter, which he played in the eponymously-titled Film Four production on Channel 4’s opening night more than 25 years ago, in a new play for BBC Radio 4. The new play, called Walter Now, will reveal what has happened to McKellen’s character, who has learning difficulties and is now a pensioner living in a hostel after many years in a psychiatric hospital. Writer David Cook, who wrote the original Walter and its 1983 sequel Walter and June, both directed by Stephen Frears, has also written the latest instalment for Radio 4. He began writing it as a screenplay before adapting it for radio. Sir Ian McKellen to revisit role of Walter for BBC Radio 4 play
From independent.co.uk: At first, I don’t notice the figure hunched over the computer in the corner. It’s only when I hear the voice – resonant, commanding, with a trace of a Lancashire accent – that I realise that this grey-haired creature, unprepossessing, at least from behind, is Lear and Gandalf and Vanya and Magneto. Is, in other words, Sir Ian McKellen. And when he turns round, he’s not unprepossessing at all. His face is lined, but amazingly handsome. His body, in super-hip jeans, turquoise T-shirt and chic little jacket, is athletic and lithe. Mature but modern is the overall impression. Gravitas with a funky twist. Sir Ian McKellen: The Bard and me
Alison writes: Sir Ian McKellen has drawn a picture on himself as Gandalf to help us raise funds for a deaf and hearing children’s choir in London UK. If you think any of your members would be interested in purchasing it, please contact me ASAP. Our website is www.thekaos.org.
It is that time again – time for Ringer Diedye’s Flashback feature on TheOneRing.net! This week’s flashback details the events that took place in the Tolkien universe between August 23rd and August 30th. This is a weekly feature that Diedye posts in the forum, so if there is ever a time we don’t post it on the homepage of TORn, make sure to check the Main board in our forums. Click on the link below to transported in time! Continue reading “Tolkien Flashback August 23rd-30th”
Sir Ian McKellen”Lord of the Rings” fans, don’t expect the highly anticipated “The Hobbit” prequel to be another “Lord of the Rings.” Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the trilogy, will return for “The Hobbit,” but said his approach won’t be that of reprising a character he’s played before. He’ll instead be reacting to the new material with a fresh perspective on his character.
From independent.co.uk: At first, I don’t notice the figure hunched over the computer in the corner. It’s only when I hear the voice – resonant, commanding, with a trace of a Lancashire accent – that I realise that this grey-haired creature, unprepossessing, at least from behind, is Lear and Gandalf and Vanya and Magneto. Is, in other words, Sir Ian McKellen. And when he turns round, he’s not unprepossessing at all. His face is lined, but amazingly handsome. His body, in super-hip jeans, turquoise T-shirt and chic little jacket, is athletic and lithe. Mature but modern is the overall impression. Gravitas with a funky twist. 
