McKellen’s work spans genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. His most notable film role is Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film trilogy.  

I wonder what rad activities he does in his spare time. I like to imagine him practicing wizardry in his garage or something like that. He’s also about the right age to be playing online bingo at partybingo.com. Who Knows, he could be doing both. All we can say for sure is that he is one massively rad dude.

A lot of people don’t know this, but, he is also high-profile campaigner for gay rights since he came out, at age 49.  He was in the vanguard of openly gay artists and in November 1990, Margaret Thatcher recommended him for a knighthood.

Here he talks about what it is like to be a gay actor: ‘In the Fifties and Sixties, the life of a gay man was a secret. Homosexuality was illegal, so you didn’t draw attention to yourself. But coming out is the best thing I ever did and I’ve never met a gay person who didn’t think the same. Even now there are young actors who want careers as romantic leading men and the best thing is not to reveal you’re gay. I suppose I used to wonder if I’d be allowed to play Romeo if I came out. Eventually, I thought if you compromise to the extent of lying about yourself, is there any job in the world that’s worth that? I don’t think there is. It’s still a sensitive issue in Hollywood, though.’

I can’t help but wonder what Hollywood celebrities he could he be talking about with this “Sensitive Issue”.  Let’s see, could it be someone whose name rhymes with Mom Bruise? All jokes aside, we are glad that being gay is more openly accepted these days compared to the homophobic Fifties and Sixties he speaks of.