Ian McKellen

Career timeline

1. 1939 · Born

   Born in Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK

2. 1960 · Screen debut

   Coronation Street (TV)

3. 1989 · Breakthrough

   The Simpsons (TV)

4. 1995 · Writing debut

   Richard III (Movie)

5. 2026 · Latest release

   Ebenezer (Movie)

Career in numbers

6 1960s

4 1970s

8 1980s

19 1990s

17 2000s

15 2010s

4 2020s

• Drama33
• Adventure21
• Comedy20
• Fantasy18
• Action15
• Romance10

Highest-rated title The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003 8.5 Most popular title The Simpsons 1989 8.0

Frequent collaborators

People who appear most often alongside Ian McKellen in our catalogue.

Philippa Boyens

7 titles together

Fran Walsh

7 titles together

Peter Jackson

6 titles together

Andy Serkis

5 titles together

Billy Boyd

3 titles together

James Marsden

3 titles together

Howard Shore

2 titles together

Liv Tyler

2 titles together

Benedict Cumberbatch

2 titles together

Viggo Mortensen

2 titles together

1. 2027 The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Upcoming as Gandalf Movie
2. 2026 Avengers: Doomsday Upcoming as Magneto Movie
3. 2026 Ebenezer as Jacob Marley 7.8 Movie
4. 2026 The Christophers as Julian Sklar 6.8 Movie
5. 2024 The Critic as Jimmy Erskine 5.8 Movie
6. 2024 ted as Narrator (voice) 8.0 TV
7. 2019 Cats as Gus, the Theatre Cat 4.1 Movie
8. 2019 The Good Liar as Roy Courtnay 6.7 Movie
9. 2018 All Is True as Earl of Southampton 6.0 Movie
10. 2018 Animal Crackers as Horatio P. Huntington (voice) 6.4 Movie
11. 2017 Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth 7.0 Movie
12. 2015 The Dresser as Norman 6.2 Movie
13. 2015 Mr. Holmes as Sherlock Holmes 6.5 Movie
14. 2014 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies as Gandalf the Grey 7.3 Movie
15. 2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past as Magneto 7.5 Movie
16. 2013 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug as Gandalf the Grey 7.6 Movie
17. 2013 The Wolverine as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (uncredited) 6.4 Movie
18. 2013 Vicious as Freddie Thornhill 7.5 TV
19. 2012 Doctor Who: The Snowmen as The Great Intelligence (voice) 7.7 Movie
20. 2012 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Gandalf the Grey 7.4 Movie
21. 2011 Perspectives TV
22. 2009 The Prisoner as 2 / Curtis 5.5 TV
23. 2007 The Golden Compass as Iorek Byrnison (voice) 6.1 Movie
24. 2007 Stardust as Narrator (voice) 7.3 Movie
25. 2006 Flushed Away as The Toad (voice) 6.4 Movie
26. 2006 X-Men: The Last Stand as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto 6.4 Movie
27. 2006 The Da Vinci Code as Sir Leigh Teabing 6.7 Movie
28. 2006 Doogal as Zebedee (voice) 4.9 Movie
29. 2005 Asylum as Dr. Peter Cleave 6.1 Movie
30. 2005 Neverwas as Gabriel Finch 6.4 Movie
31. 2005 Extras as Ian McKellen 7.8 TV
32. 2005 The Magic Roundabout as Zebedee (voice) 5.4 Movie
33. 2004 The Paul O'Grady Show TV
34. 2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as Gandalf 8.5 Movie
35. 2003 X2 as Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto 7.1 Movie
36. 2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as Gandalf 8.4 Movie
37. 2001 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as Gandalf 8.5 Movie
38. 2000 X-Men as Magneto 7.0 Movie
39. 1999 David Copperfield as Creakle 7.1 TV
40. 1999 Family Guy as Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (voice) 7.4 TV
41. 1998 Apt Pupil as Kurt Dussander 6.5 Movie
42. 1998 Gods and Monsters as James Whale 6.9 Movie
43. 1998 Swept from the Sea as Dr. James Kennedy 6.4 Movie
44. 1997 Bent as Uncle Freddie 6.9 Movie
45. 1997 HARDtalk TV
46. 1996 Rasputin as Tsar Nicholas II 6.6 Movie
47. 1996 TFI Friday TV
48. 1995 Richard III as Richard III 6.8 Movie
49. 1995 Restoration as Will Gates 6.1 Movie
50. 1995 Jack & Sarah as William 6.8 Movie
51. 1995 Cold Comfort Farm as Amos Starkadder 6.8 Movie
52. 1994 The Shadow as Dr. Reinhardt Lane 6.1 Movie
53. 1994 I'll Do Anything as John Earl McAlpine 5.6 Movie
54. 1993 Six Degrees of Separation as Geoffrey 6.4 Movie
55. 1993 Tales of the City as Archibald Anson Gidde 7.7 TV
56. 1993 And the Band Played On as Bill Kraus 6.5 Movie
57. 1993 Last Action Hero as Death 6.5 Movie
58. 1989 The Simpsons as Ian McKellen (voice) 8.0 TV
59. 1989 Scandal as John Profumo 6.0 Movie
60. 1988 Windmills of the Gods as Chairman TV
61. 1985 Theatre Night as Iago TV
62. 1984 Playing Shakespeare TV
63. 1983 The Keep as Dr. Theodore Cuza 5.6 Movie
64. 1982 The Scarlet Pimpernel as Chauvelin 6.8 Movie
65. 1982 American Playhouse as Archibald Anson Gidde TV
66. 1978 The South Bank Show TV
67. 1974 Playhouse as Alexander TV
68. 1972 Country Matters as David Masterman TV
69. 1970 Solo TV
70. 1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre as Lyov TV
71. 1967 ITV Playhouse as Tony TV
72. 1966 David Copperfield as David Copperfield TV
73. 1965 BBC Play of the Month as Captain Plume TV
74. 1964 The Wednesday Play as Wolf TV
75. 1960 Coronation Street as Mel Hutchwright 5.3 TV

1. 1995 Richard III 6.8 Movie

1. 1995 Richard III 6.8 Movie

Photos

Quick facts