In doing this posting, it is going to be necessary to admit that I have not watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy from director Peter Jackson. I’ve seen some of the first one, but that’s it. Yes, I know that one of these films is an Academy Award winner for Best Picture, and that these movies have been acclaimed and loved world-wide. But although I own them, I have never watched them. Having said that, I can in fact claim that I have met one of the principal players from the film.
Sir Ian McKellen portrayed Gandalf in the three Lord of the Rings movies, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the first entry Fellowship of the Ring. Prior to that, he might be seen in some great films like Six Degrees of Separation, Apt Pupil, Gods and Monsters (for which he was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor), and X-Men. But the part for which I remembered him most was when he hosted Saturday Night Live, with a heavy emphasis on his gay activism. Before that, I had never heard of him. Don’t ask.
While in London on Friday, April 2, 2010, my friend Bob and I walked from the Adelphi Theatre, where we had just seen Love Never Dies, to the Theatre Royal Haymarket, where Ian McKellen had just finished up his performance in Waiting for Godot. Bob and I waited outside the stage door for him to come out.
When he did, he was mostly friendly, but when I tried to get both my and Bob’s photo signed by him, he said that he could “only sign one, I’m afraid.” After that, it was a bit difficult to get his attention again so that I could get my picture with him. It ended up working out okay. Now I’ll have to go home and watch the Lord of the Rings so I’ll know the real importance of the guy I had just met. But only one, I’m afraid.
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“only sign one, I’m afraid” — give me a break Ian, how hard would it be to sign another?
Regardless, major props to you for so openly admitting that you haven’t yet seen his signature works….and also for committing to see them!
Peter
May 18th, 2010