Considered a key figure in Avengers: Doomsday, this iconic actor made a name for himself with surprising remarks about cinema, which he once judged to be one of the least appreciable forms of entertainment.
Tl;dr
- Ian McKellen preferred theater to cinema in his youth.
- The criticism of the making of the films is considered “insulting”.
- Since then, he has become an icon of world cinema.
A debut marked by the theater
For many cinema fans of the 1990s, the first encounter with Ian McKellen was often done through his masterful incarnation of Richard III under the direction of Richard Loncraine. But behind this remarkable role was already hiding an actor whose career was firmly anchored on the stage. From the 1960s, Ian McKellen established himself as one of the major figures of British theater, notably thanks to his interpretation of Richard II within the Prospect Theater Company. On stage, he attracts attention with his daring performances and a rare ability to inhabit complex roles.
Cinema: Between Rhetoric and International Perception
Paradoxically, the actor’s arrival on the big screen was not without reservations. Before being celebrated for his iconic roles in X-Men or even The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, McKellen did not hide his skepticism towards cinema. He stated it bluntly in the columns of Cable Guide magazine in 1991: « Films are absolutely the worst of all. The actor is never told anything. It is so insulting, so rude, and so despicable ». For him, the seventh art imposed a secondary and technical position on actors, far from the creative freedom offered by theater.
From one art to another: career development
This clear-cut point of view will not prevent Ian McKellen to appear at the end of the 1960s in a few film productions such as “A Touch of Love”, then sporadically throughout the following decades (“The Keep”, “Plenty”, “Scandal”). However, it was only with the explosion of Hollywood blockbusters that its notoriety took on a global dimension. Fans will especially remember:
- The incarnation of Erik « Magneto » Lehnsherr in « X-Men ».
- The metamorphosis into Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
The irony of fate for a star actor
Biting irony: while some critics affirmed thirty years ago that his greatest roles would remain confined to the stage (“for the best in drama, try a knight in the theater”), it is in front of the cameras that he is today adored on all continents. Now in demand to reprise his cult characters in future blockbusters like “Avengers: Doomsday” or the new part of “The Lord of the Rings”, McKellen embodies this fascinating journey between initial mistrust and universal cinematic glory.
/2026/05/19/6a0c0326b460b152540928.jpg "Sexual violence in cinema: actress Sara Forestier calls on parliamentarians to \"signal the end of impunity\"")
