Sir Ian McKellen - A Knight of the Stage and Screen

British actor Sir Ian McKellen is one of the stars of the controversial summer film The Da Vinci Code. He stars in the movie alongside Tom Hanks. He is also scheduled to be in another potential blockbuster, X-3: The Final Stand. McKellen has also starred in several other hit movies such as "X-Men" and its sequel "X-2: X-Men United" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

McKellen was born on May 25, 1939, in the small town of Burnley, England, to Dennis and Margery McKellen. The family later moved to the mining town of Wigan, where McKellen lived through World War II. Encouraged by his parents McKellen, developed an interest in theater, especially Shakespearean plays. His first Shakespearean role was as Malvolio in a school production of "Twelfth Knight." In his youth McKellen attended theater festivals in Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace) where he watched performances from British stage greats such as John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier.

McKellen received a bachelor of Arts degree in 1961 from Cambridge University and launched himself whole-heartedly into the acting world making his debut on London's West End in the same year. McKellen's breakthrough stage role was in "Richard II of England" in 1969. He later reprised the role in a BBC television production. McKellen also won plaudits for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1974 to 1979. He played opposite Francesca Annis and Judi Dench in "Romeo and Juliet" and "MacBeth" respectively.

His success on the British stage eventually created opportunities for him in the United States. In 1979 he appeared on Broadway in "Bent," a play about Nazi persecution of gay men.

Although he had long had relationships with men, McKellen continued to keep his sexuality private until 1988. He declared his homosexuality publicly on British radio while discussing legislation by Margaret Thatched that would have made public promotion of homosexuality a crime. McKellen's sexuality did not hinder his career. He was eventually rewarded for his stellar performances with the Tony award in 1980 for his role in "Amadeus."

Although McKellen made his big screen debut in 1969, it took a while for his film career to take off. In his early years he was better known as a stage actor, but he won plaudits for his performance in the lead role of the film version of "Richard III." He was rewarded with BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for the role and he also won the European Film award for best actor.

His breakthrough role in America was in "Apt Pupil," a small film based on a Stephen King story about a former Nazi officer hiding under a false identity. Hollywood eventually rewarded McKellen's talents with an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1998 film "Gods and Monster."

His roles in the "X-Men" and "Lord of the Rings" movies have made McKellen into a certified big-name movie star. He received another Oscar nomination for his role as Gandalf in "The Fellowship of the Ring." McKellen received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth in 1990 for his outstanding work in theater.