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Biography: All about Sir Ian
From a hard war-time upbringing in the north of England, Ian McKellen, a boy with "grease paint in his veins", went on to become first "the new Olivier" and then the star of some of the most successful motion pictures of all time. The list below reveals both his dedication to the arts and his slow rise to worldwide celebrity.
Stardust (2007)
Flushed Away (voice) (2006)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Displaced (voice) (2006)
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Neverwas (2005)
Coronation Street (TV series, 10 episodes) (2005)
Asylum (2005)
The Magic Roundabout (2005)
Eighteen (Voice) (2004)
Emile (2004)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
The Simpsons (TV series, one episode, voice) (2003)
Churchill (TV, narrator) (2003)
X-Men 2 (2003)
Inside The Actors' Studio (TV series, one episode, as himself) (2002)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Everest: View From The Top (TV, narrator) (2002)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
The Oliviers In Love (TV, narrator) (2001)
X-Men (2000)
Cirque Du Soleil: Journey Of Man (narrator) (2000)
Great Composers (TV series, voice) (1999)
David Copperfield (TV) (1999)
Apt Pupil (1998)
Gods And Monsters (1998)
Bent (1997)
Swept From The Sea (1997)
A Bit Of Scarlet (narrator) (1997)
Surviving Friendly Fire (narrator) (1997)
Rasputin (TV) (1996)
Restoration (1995)
Richard III (1995)
Jack And Sarah (1995)
Anglia At War (TV series, voice) (1995)
Thin Ice (1995)
Cold Comfort Farm (TV miniseries) (1995)
I'll Do Anything (1994)
To Die For (voice) (1994)
The Shadow (1994)
The Ballad Of Little Jo (1993)
Six Degrees Of Separation (1993)
Mister Shaw's Missing Millions (TV) (1993)
And The Band Played On (TV) (1993)
The Last Action Hero (1993)
Armistead Maupin's Tales Of The City (TV miniseries) (1993)
Countdown To War (TV) (1989)
Scandal (1989)
Windmills Of The Gods (TV) (1988)
Othello (TV) (1988)
Suleyman The Magnificent (TV, narrator) (1987)
Walter And June (TV) (1986)
The Witches (TV) (1986)
Loving Walter (TV) (1986)
Zina (1985)
Plenty (1985)
Ian McKellen Acting Shakespeare (TV miniseries) (1985)
Ian McKellen's Diary Of A Year (TV) (1985)
The Keep (1983)
Dying Day (TV) (1982)
Walter (TV) (1982)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (TV) (1982)
Priest Of Love (1981)
Amud Ha'Esh (TV miniseries, narrator) (1979)
Macbeth (TV) (1979)
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (TV) (1978)
Graceless Go I (TV) (1973)
Craven Arms (Country Matters) (TV) (1973)
The Recruiting Officer (TV) (1973)
Hamlet (TV) (1972)
Hedda Gabler (TV) (1972)
Edward II (TV) (1970)
The Tragedy Of King Richard II (TV) (1970)
Ross (TV) (1970)
Keats (TV) (1970)
What If It's Just Green Cheese? (TV) (1969)
A Touch Of Love (1969)
Alfred The Great (1969)
The Promise (1968)
Hay Fever (TV) (1968)
David Copperfield (TV miniseries) (1966)
The Trial And Torture Of John Rampayne (TV) (1965)
Sunday Out Of Season (TV) (1965)
Kipling (TV series, one episode) (1964)