Karl writes: Just thought you’d like to know, that Sir Ian McKellen appeared on Parkinson last night. Parkinson is a legend British chat show host, now in his last ever series, and Sir Ian appeared on his eighth show last night at 10:35 along with James Blunt, Conservative leader David Cameron, and F1 racer Lewis Hammilton. He talked about his role as King Lear as well as some very embarrassing moments on his tour! May be repeated some time- otherwise look out for it on Youtube!
Category: Ian McKellen
Moviegoers may know him as the voice of Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, or as a villain in the “X-Men” movies. But New Yorkers may soon know Sir Ian McKellen for an entirely different reason – as the voice of downtown Brooklyn. The British stage and screen actor has donated his voice to a four-minute, 21-second promotional video in which the Academy Award nominee touts downtown Brooklyn’s future.
“New Yorkers will enjoy a revitalized area that is an engine for economic growth, a place to pursue new careers, a neighborhood where young couples can watch their children thrive, a college town for students to follow their dreams – a true urban center for the city’s great borough of Brooklyn,” McKellen extols in a pronounced British accent. Continue reading “Sir Ian McKellen lends voice to Brooklyn promotional video”
Farewell King Lear. Hello Hobbits. An actor’s life can take strange turns. Sir Ian McKellen is wrapping up the American leg of his world-wide tour as King Lear and says he won’t mind returning to the Shire to reprise his role as the wizard Gandalf for a film version of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit if and when that happens. Making The Hobbit has not been an easy task since Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson got into a legal battle with studio New Line Cinema over royalties – a fight that may be close to being settled after a lot of name calling. Playing mad king and wizard easy for Sir Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen has said that he would like to reprise the role of Gandalf if there is a movie adaptation of The Hobbit. The film of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel has been delayed due to disputes between Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and the production studios. However, McKellen has claimed that he would enjoy playing the wizard again, even if Jackson isn’t at the helm. He told Reuters: “When Peter announced he had withdrawn from The Hobbit, he sent me an e-mail saying, ‘Because I am not going to do it, it doesn’t mean you have to do the same. Of course, you must play Gandalf whether I direct or not.'”McKellen keen to be Gandalf in Hobbit
Jonathan let us know that you can catch Ian McKellen’s recent interview on ‘Charlie Rose’ online at charlierose.com. An added bonus is catching his 1999 interview with Rose, just a few years before he became a household name.
In the U.S., most people know Ian McKellen as the villainous Magneto in the X-Men movies — and of course as the wizard Gandalf, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But long before he became an international superstar, McKellen was known as the finest Shakespearean actor of his generation. He’s played Romeo, Macbeth, Iago, and Richard III (on stage and on film) and now he’s touring the United States with one of the greatest Shakespeare roles of all time: King Lear.