Full Name=Sir Ian Murray McKellen; Profession=English stage, film and television actor and LGBTQ+ rights activist; Nationality=British (English); Born=25 May 1939; Birthplace=Burnley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; Generation=Silent Generation (born in 1939, within the commonly cited 1928–1945 range); Chinese Zodiac=Earth Rabbit (1939 Chinese zodiac year); Zodiac Sign=Gemini; Age in 2026=87 (turning 87 on 25 May 2026); Marital Status=Never married; Children=None (has spoken publicly about not having children and instead valuing a “chosen family” of close friends and colleagues); Description=Sir Ian Murray McKellen is a revered British actor whose career spans more than seven decades across Shakespearean theatre, modern drama, fantasy and science fiction blockbusters, and acclaimed independent cinema, widely regarded as one of the greatest stage and screen performers of his generation and a British cultural icon, rising to prominence with the Royal Shakespeare Company and earning international fame for his nuanced portrayals of complex characters, from Richard III and James Whale in Gods and Monsters to the wise wizard Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and the morally conflicted mutant leader Magneto in the X‑Men films, along the way receiving seven Laurence Olivier Awards; a Tony Award for Amadeus; a Golden Globe Award; a Screen Actors Guild Award; multiple BAFTA and Emmy nominations; and two Academy Award nominations, while also using his public prominence to advocate passionately for LGBTQ+ rights after coming out publicly in the late 1980s, helping to found Stonewall UK, campaigning against discriminatory legislation, and becoming a mentor and inspirational figure to queer communities and younger actors worldwide; Cause of Death=Alive as of 2026 (living British actor in his late eighties)