Hollywood Reporter
January 2004

LONG BEFORE J.K. Rowling introduced audiences to the denizens of Harry Potter's wizarding world, a very different conjurer had won the hearts and minds of those with a passion for fantasy. Ever since J.R.R. Tolkien’s "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy was published, Gandalf the Grey (later Gandalf the White) has fascinated readers - an enigmatic figure, he fights to protect Middle Earth from the corrupt reach of the dark Sauron but also enjoys his pipe and harbors a deep-seated affection for Hobbits.

Only an actor of great charisma and substance could don the mantle of one of literature's most beloved wizards - making venerable British thespian Ian McKellen the perfect choice to translate Gandalf from the page to the screen.

A highly acclaimed performer who's earned numerous awards for his work on the stage and in film and television, McKellen's regal bearing and impish charm nicely capture the two sides of the mysterious magician. He's the perfect complement to Elijah Wood's wide-eyed Frodo and Viggo Mortensen's brooding hero Aragorn.

However, the "Rings" trilogy is not the only blockbuster franchise to feature McKellen of late. In Fox's "X-Men" films, he plays the malevolent mutant Magneto, a man who psychically can bend any and all metals to his will. It might seem unusual given marketers' overwhelming desire to appeal to the youth market that a 65-year-old Englishman would topline two such epic fantasy and science-fiction features - or for that matter, that McKellen would choose such roles considering his distinguished background in playwrights Shakespeare, Chekhov and the like.

McKellen is quick to point out, though, that he sees only a distinction between film and. theater; not among the various genres of film. "I can now play great parts in potentially wonderful films with great stories and carry on doing what I've always done most of, which is enjoying being in front of a live audience," McKellen says. "What sort of movie isn't the issue. I don't make a distinction between being in two big fantasy movies - if that's how you want to categorize them - and doing something more naturalistic. Naturalism is a big part of making Gandalf convincing. When you're making 'Lord of the Rings,' it doesn't feel like fantasy. It feels like Middle Earth actually exists. And, of course, they built it in New Zealand."

It was there, too, that Gandalf first sprang to life. McKellen remembers the m two-day period during which the finishing touches were put on his costume, which was based largely on the illustrations of artists John Howe and Alan Lee. Once the character's physical look was in place, beard and all, the actor says he was able to settle easily into his new persona. While he had very specific ideas about how to approach the role, McKellen's collaboration with director Peter Jackson remained a close one.

"What I needed Peter for was to explain to me what every single scene was about and what the message was and how the scene fitted into his overarching view of the story," McKellen says. "It was very east' for the actors to get lost, you know, because you're filming out of sequence much of the time. He was totally reliable. He always knew exactly what was required.

"The only argument I ever had with him was that I think he likes a sort of acting which is very, very clear, very simple, truthful, and I rather like things going on in the background," McKellen continues. "So, he would say, 'Ian, go on, make it more angry!' And I said, `Yes, but some people when they get angry go like steel and they don't get agitated and they don't shout.' That was the discussion that we were always having. He would always let me do what I wanted and then he'd say, 'Now Could I have you doing it my way for one take?' I used to say, 'Peter, I know which tale you're going to use. It's the one that's got me doing exactly what you wanted in the first place,' and he'd giggle."

Now that the trilogy has concluded and McKellen has attended the obligatory press junkets and premieres, he plans to revive his acclaimed "Dance of Death" for Australian audiences. The play, which enjoyed successful runs first in the West End and then on Broadway, examines the relationship between a warring couple - an ailing artillery captain, Edgar (McKellen) and his former actress wife (Frances De La Tour). The very black comedy, directed by Sean Mathias, will serve as a centerpiece of the annual Sydney Festival, a celebration of the arts.

McKellen says even after so many years, he finds the stage to be incredibly creatively stimulating, though far more physically demanding than his other professional pursuits.

"Theater is a much more tiring job than I remember it as having been," he says. "So, I think films are actually a little bit easier because they send a car and there's nice craft services. Yon really actually have to deliver for about three or four minutes each day instead of maybe three hours in front of a restless audience."

Returning to the world of cinema McKellen can nest be seen in director David Mackenzie's follow-up to "Young Adam," "Asylum," a project he recently wrapped in England. Nor are his "Rings" duties entirely at an end. Considering just how beloved the trilogy has become by audiences of all ages around the world, McKellen is likely to be greeting fans on the street and signing autographs for years to come.

McKellen wryly observes: "Well, you know you have to do things for Gandalf. He's a very, very demanding master."

- Gina McIntyre