Woman reveals shocking moment Sir Ian McKellen fell off stage on top of her while she was ‘in shock’

The 85-year-old has captivated audiences both on screen and stage, receiving international acclaim and becoming a household name around the world.

Perhaps his biggest mark on the big screen is as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

But he also achieved mainstream success with his performances as Magneto in the X-Men series and as the title character in the film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard III.

On stage, Sir Ian has been nominated for 12 Olivier Awards and won six for his roles in Pillars Of The Community, The Alchemist, Bent, Wild Honey, Richard III and his one-man show Ian McKellen On Stage.

The actor was born in Burnley, Lancashire, in 1939 and, alongside his sister Jean, was raised by his mother Margery and father Denis.

Sir Ian has often credited his parents for encouraging his interest in becoming an actor, previously saying in an interview with the Irish Examiner in 2017: “Apparently she said: ‘If Ian decides to become an actor, it’s a good work, because it brings pleasure to people.

His mother died when he was just 12 years old, and he would lose his father at 22.

Sir Ian played at every school he attended.

At school in Bolton he was able to see his first Shakespeare performance at the Hopefield Miniature Theater when, aged 13, Malvolio, he performed the letters scene from Twelfth Night.

He then won a scholarship to read English at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and was soon appearing in regular productions, including alongside now-famous alumni such as Derek Jacobi, David Frost and Margaret Drabble.

By the time Sir Ian graduated in 1961, he had decided to become an actor and landed his first job in a production of A Man For All Seasons at the Belgrade Theater in Coventry.

Since then, he has become a household name for his acclaimed performances in everything from Shakespearean tragedies to Hollywood blockbusters.

Very few people knew about his homosexuality from a young age, including his parents.

As well as acting, Sir Ian has been active in the gay rights movement.

In 1988, he came out publicly on a BBC Radio 4 program while discussing Section 28 of Margaret Thatcher’s legislation, which made it an offense to promote homosexuality as a family relationship by local authorities.

He said of the law: “I think it is offensive to anyone who is, like me, gay, let alone what can or cannot be taught to children. »

Section 28 was finally repealed entirely in 2003.

Sir Ian has spoken about his experiences coming out on several occasions.

In July 2000 he wrote in The Independent: “The only good thing I can say about Section 28 is that it finally encouraged me to come out. A little late in the day, but still the best thing I’ve ever done. “.

Then, in 2015, he said coming out made him a better performer: “What happened immediately, according to my friends, was that I became not only a happier person, but a best actor.”

Sir Ian, who now lives in Limehouse, is currently starring in Player Kings, a production of Henry IV, Parts One and Two, at the Noel Coward Theater in London.