Ian McKellen

Narrator

Sir Ian McKellen CH CBE is one of the most celebrated actors in the history of British theatre and cinema. Born in Burnley, Lancashire, he studied English at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and began his professional career in the early 1960s. He has since become one of the most honoured actors alive. McKellen's film career reached... its widest audience through two of cinema's biggest franchises: as Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and as Magneto in the X-Men series. His other film credits include Richard III, Gods and Monsters (earning him an Oscar nomination), Apt Pupil, The Da Vinci Code, and Mr Holmes. On stage, McKellen's career is extraordinary. He has performed virtually every major Shakespearean role, received six Olivier Award nominations, and has taken acclaimed solo shows on international tours. His 1990 Richard III, later adapted for film, is considered one of the great Shakespearean performances of the twentieth century. McKellen has been a pioneering advocate for LGBTQ+ rights since publicly coming out in 1988, and co-founded the charity Stonewall. As an audiobook narrator, Sir Ian brings a voice of unparalleled richness and authority. His decades of Shakespearean performance give him an instinctive command of language, pace, and emotional register. Whether voicing a wizard, a king, or a narrator, his performances have the depth and gravitas of a lifetime devoted to the spoken word. For listeners, an audiobook narrated by Ian McKellen is an encounter with one of the greatest living interpreters of the English language. Read more Show less