Sir Ian McKellen is a two-time Academy Award nominated English actor. He started his career with theatrical plays such as Henry IV and A Man for All Seasons. His outstanding portrayal of several leading Shakespearean characters established him as a well-known figure in the British theatre circuit. McKellen made his cinema debut in A Touch of Love (1969) but shot to fame with the critically acclaimed film Six Degrees of Separation (1993), where he portrayed a South African tycoon. He also appeared in several popular TV series such as Last Action Hero, Tales of the City, Extras and The Prisoner which made him a household name. Some of his well known films include And the Band Played On (1993), Richard III (1995), Apt Pupil (1998) and Gods and Monsters (1998) which brought him several Academy Award nominations. Ian was cast by director Bryan Singer to play the super villain Magneto in the X-Men series. He was also cast as the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson`s three-film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Ian subsequently reprised the role of Gandalf in the three-part film adaptation of The Hobbit. Some of his other well known films include Emile (2003), Neverwas (2005), Asylum (2005) and The Da Vinci Code (2006). With a long-standing career, McKellen has received a Tony Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Critics` Choice Award for his outstanding performances. His recent films were The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) and Mr. Holmes (2015). His forthcoming film is Beauty and the Beast, which will be screening in theatres in March, 2017.