ACTOR

Ian McKellen

1939 - Today

Photo of Ian McKellen

Icon of person Ian McKellen

Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. With a career spanning more than seven decades, he is noted for his roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cultural icon and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Ian McKellen has received more than 20,816,352 page views. His biography is available in 76 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 74 in 2019). Ian McKellen is the 72nd most popular actor (down from 51st in 2019), the 110th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 101st in 2019) and the 9th most popular British Actor.

Ian McKellen is most famous for playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies.

Memorability Metrics

  • 21M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 73.64

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 76

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 6.27

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 4.85

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Page views of Ian McKellens by language

Over the past year Ian McKellen has had the most page views in the with 2,557,095 views, followed by Spanish (339,846), and German (329,827). In terms of yearly growth of page views the top 3 wikpedia editions are Simple English (213.44%), Latvian (186.30%), and Albanian (161.30%)

Among ACTORS

Among actors, Ian McKellen ranks 72 out of 13,578. Before him are Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Kirk Douglas, Alan Alda, Henry Fonda, and Johnny Depp. After him are Maggie Smith, Jean Marais, Steven Seagal, Tom Selleck, Roger Moore, and John Wayne.

Most Popular Actors in Wikipedia

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1939, Ian McKellen ranks 5. Before him are Lee Harvey Oswald, Ali Khamenei, Tina Turner, and Terence Hill. After him are Francis Ford Coppola, Stanislav Petrov, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Amos Oz, Amanda Lear, Reuven Rivlin, and Giovanni Falcone.

Others Born in 1939

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In United Kingdom

Among people born in United Kingdom, Ian McKellen ranks 110 out of 8,785. Before him are Liam Neeson (1952), Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (1857), George V (1865), Jeremy Bentham (1748), Roger Bacon (1220), and Terry Pratchett (1948). After him are H. G. Wells (1866), Maggie Smith (1934), Ada Lovelace (1815), Blackbeard (1680), Neville Chamberlain (1869), and Edward VIII (1894).

Others born in United Kingdom

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Among ACTORS In United Kingdom

Among actors born in United Kingdom, Ian McKellen ranks 9. Before him are Richard Burton (1925), Sean Connery (1930), Alan Rickman (1946), Elizabeth Taylor (1932), Christopher Lee (1922), and Liam Neeson (1952). After him are Maggie Smith (1934), Roger Moore (1927), Michael Caine (1933), Jane Birkin (1946), Rowan Atkinson (1955), and Helen Mirren (1945).

British born Actors

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Television and Movie Roles

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Gandalf
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.
Dec 18o 20018.407 / 10
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Gandalf
Aragorn is revealed as the heir to the ancient kings as he, Gandalf and the other members of the broken fellowship struggle to save Gondor from Sauron's forces. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam take the ring closer to the heart of Mordor, the dark lord's realm.
Dec 1o 20038.476 / 10
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Gandalf
Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit enjoying his quiet life, is swept into an epic quest by Gandalf the Grey and thirteen dwarves who seek to reclaim their mountain home from Smaug, the dragon.
Dec 12o 20127.3 / 10