Ian Mckellen
Character: Gandalf
Culture: Wizard
Description: A very powerful wizard who faces his greatest test in destroying the One Ring
GANDALF's biography Gandalf entered into Middle Earth as one of the Istari, and was deemed the wisest of the order by Galadriel. He has been said to be the person most responsible for Sauron's downfall, laboring nonstop for roughly 2000 years to put an end to his reign. Gandalf was the bearer of Narya, the Ring of Fire, given to him by Cirdan when he arrived in Middle Earth. Gandalf always held Hobbits near to his heart, and he also held their race in high regard. When Bilbo found the Ring, Gandalf immediately suspected that it was the One Ring, but allowed Bilbo to keep it, for he knew Bilbo to be strong, and innocent: plus he knew no safer place for it, and he dare not be tempted with it himself. In the year 3001, Gandalf persuaded Bilbo to leave the Ring to Frodo, and shortly thereafter, Gandalf set in motion the Quest of Mount Doom. Gandalf was one of the most important people at the Council of Elrond, because he alone knew the full history of Sauron and the Ring. Although he fell battling the Balrog in Moria, he was sent back to Middle Earth as Gandalf the White to complete his errand. Aside from aiding Frodo in his journey, Gandalf did many other chief deeds during the War of the Ring, including freeing Theoden from the evil spells of Saruman and Wormtongue, and casting Saruman out and taking over as the head of the White Council. After the War of the Ring Gandalf sailed from the Grey Havens with Elrond, Bilbo, and Frodo. It is believed that he also took his beloved horse, Shadowfax.
Aliases: Incanus, Olorin, Tharkun, LathSpell, Grey Pilgrim, Grey Wanderer, Stormcrow, Greyhame, Mithrandir, Grey Fool, The White Rider Date of Birth: ? Race: Maia Height: Described as rather tall, but bent Date of Death: ? Alignment: Good Parents: N/A Spouse: None Date of Marriage: N/A Children: none
Physical description: Appeared as an old man with a wise face. Immensely long grey beard, and bushy eyebrows. He was dressed in grey robes throughout much of LotR, but after his fall in Moria, he was dressed in shining white.
Sir Ian McKellen has been thrilling audiences for 40 years on both stage and screen, and has won more than 40 major international acting awards. For his performance as Gandalf the Grey in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring McKellen won a Screen Actors™ Guild Award as best supporting actor and was nominated for an Oscar. Since then he has starred on Broadway in Strindberg's Dance of Death and filmed X-Men 2 as, once again, Magneto, the Master of Magnetism. For the telefilm Rasputin, McKellen was nominated for an Emmy and won the Golden Globe Award.
Other recent films include Gods and Monsters (Academy Award nomination for Best Actor), Apt Pupil and Richard III (co-screenplay writer and executive producer). His many stage performances are legendary. He has acted in and produced classical and new plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre in London and on tour. His solo shows, Acting Shakespeare and A Knight Out, have been acclaimed throughout the world.