The Foxverse has been a source of endlessly looping joy and entertainment ever since its advent in 2000. The saga that started with Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Hugh Jackman in X-Men (2000) and later gave birth to a multi-billion dollar franchise became the first and one of the longest-serving CBM live-action universes.
The contributions of the trio of actors to the emergent industries of epic and high fantasy, literary, and comic adaptations in the early Aughts are inimitable and unrivaled, especially when it comes to Sir Ian McKellen who has singlehandedly revolutionized the genre of high fantasy by popularizing the Lord of the Rings franchise and brought an unparalleled fandom to the comic book live-action franchise by portraying the anti-hero Magneto.
Ian McKellen Found Love in the Most Unexpected of Places
If the fandom of the chronologically confusing X-Men film series were to be questioned about the best aspects of the franchise, it would be the presence of Hugh Jackman, closely followed by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. The latter among the trio has been revolutionary not only in his brilliant and illustrious career but in his personal life as well. Known for being an avid thespian, especially with an inclination for performing in Shakespearean theatre productions, the veteran actor and auteur have brought artistic integrity to Hollywood that far exceeds the limitations of a villain or a wizard.
Also read: Who Was The Better Magneto: Sir Ian McKellen Or Michael Fassbender?
In his life beyond the theatre, the actor has long advocated for LGBTQ+ representation in the industry, famously marching at London’s Gay Pride Parade on July 5, 2008. The actor remains one of the most famous openly gay actors in Hollywood – an identity he skirted around for a long time until coming out in 1988.
In the aftermath of the November 2008 overturning of Proposition 8 in California, a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage, referring to the Irish actor Michael Fassbender (who famously played his younger counterpart in the X-Men films as Magneto), Sir McKellen had jokingly proposed to Fassbender saying, “I just want to say how lovely it is to be back in California. I feel safe here now that you’ve got rid of Proposition 8. I’m looking for a husband. It’s great to meet you, Michael.”
Ian McKellen’s Love-Hate Relationship With Hollywood
Since his early years, Sir Ian McKellen had expressed an unprecedented interest and unparalleled genius for the art of acting and theatre, becoming famous in his own right by the mid-1970s. However, it wasn’t until the new century came around that he would go on to have a lasting impact on the canon of cinema in the industry with his role as the wizard, Gandalf the Grey, in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movies would make high fantasy a popular genre in the decade to come.
In 2004, McKellen also turned down the role of Albus Dumbledore for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban claiming, “I had enough trouble living up to one legend. Two would be too much to hope for.” In the following years, he would go on to express an interest in working with namedrop directors like Sam Mendes (Skyfall), Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park), and Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) but was embittered by the fact that he was “never asked” by these filmmaking auteurs to ever appear in any of their projects.
In his latest appearance at the Theatre Royal Windsor, Ian McKellen charms in Frank and Percy alongside Roger Allam, a witty, poignant play that explores an odd-couple romance between two men who meet at a park bench.
Source: IMDb
