Sir Ian McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is a legendary English actor and cultural icon, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, celebrated for his remarkable versatility across Shakespearean drama and blockbuster fantasy. He is a titan of the stage, having won a Tony Award for Amadeus (1980) and six Laurence Olivier Awards, with a long association with the Royal Shakespeare Company. McKellen achieved worldwide fame for his film roles, most notably as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, Magneto in the X-Men films, and earning Oscar nominations for Richard III (1995) and Gods and Monsters (1998). Beyond acting, he is a prominent activist, having come out as gay in 1988 and co-founding the UK's leading LGBT rights group, Stonewall, later receiving the Freedom of the City of London in 2014. Growing up in Wigan and Bolton after being born in Burnley, his early childhood during World War II left a lasting impact, shaping his resilient worldview.