Happy 80th Sir Ian McKellan

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fountainhall

Happy 80th Sir Ian McKellan

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One of the best-known gay men in the world and a highly vocal advocate for LGBT rights celebrates his 80th birthday today. A number of his friends contribute anecdotes about him in today’s Guardian newspaper. Here are a few excerpts.

Actor Russell Tovey
On location, nothing makes him happier than finding the local amateur dramatic company. He looks out all the little theatres. His one-man show is a theatre nerd fest: he is at the top of his game but still so excited by it. Afterwards, he’ll hang out for selfies with people and be as excited as they are. He is inclusive on every level and has never taken his success for granted.
Actor Sir Anthony Hopkins
I’ve known Ian for 40 years but didn’t work with him until four years ago. A producer asked me who I’d love to star with in The Dresser and I said Ian. I didn’t dare think it would happen. But a week later I got an email from him saying he’d love to do it. I was thrilled. I remember the first day: the fifth of February 2015. It was all just perfect, one of the energising and satisfying things I’ve been involved with and one of the best times of my life – mostly because of Ian . . .

He’s very funny. He made me laugh all the time with little camp in-jokes. I’d be acting my head off and he’d say: “Ooh, dear, get her.” In the theatre, it’s impossible to work with such people. I have to walk off the stage because I’m laughing so much.
Actor and Author Stephen Fry
One of the greatest actors I have ever seen on a stage, Ian is a man of infinite courage and wisdom whose activism in the cause of LGBT rights can be seen as driving the UK – or most of it – to equality in consent and marriage. The world should know too how kind Ian is to young talent, to causes and cases around the world that awaken his sense of justice
Actor Dame Judi Dench
We have often been very near corpsing [with laughter], Ian and I. Sir Laurence [Olivier] used to call it it “exquisite agony”. It’s to do with fear and nerves. I can go completely to pieces and, with Ian, it’s very easy to make a duo of it. It’s always exciting working with him because you don’t quite know what’s going happen next. Oh, how we’ve laughed.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/201 ... len-mirren

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