Ian McKellen: movies and TV shows
Ian McKellen has 234 credits in the archive: 172 films and 62 TV series, from 1944 to 2027. Highest rated: Playing Shakespeare (9.7/10).
Career timeline
1944 – 2027 · busiest year: 2003 (12 credits)
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Full filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Type | Rating | Age then |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum | Gandalf | Film | — | 88 |
| 2026 | Avengers: Doomsday | Magneto | Film | — | 87 |
| 2026 | Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol | Jacob Marley | Film | — | 87 |
| 2026 | LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes | L S Lowry | Film | — | 87 |
| 2025 | The Christophers | Julian Sklar | Film | 6.9 | 86 |
| 2025 | Billy & Dom Eat the World | Self | TV | 8.5 | 86 |
| 2025 | Schadenfreude | Continuity Announcer | Film | — | 86 |
| 2025 | Dragged Through Time | Film | — | 86 | |
| 2025 | Ken Dodd: A Legacy of Happiness | Film | — | 86 | |
| 2025 | A World War II Fairy Tale: The Making of Michael Mann's 'The Keep' | Self (archive footage) | Film | — | 86 |
| 2024 | ted | Narrator (voice) | TV | 7.9 | 85 |
| 2024 | Dragfox | Ginger Snap the Fox (Speaking) (voice) | Film | 9.0 | 85 |
| 2024 | The Critic | Jimmy Erskine | Film | 5.8 | 85 |
| 2024 | The Life and Death of Lily Savage | Self | Film | 7.0 | 85 |
| 2024 | Hamlet | Hamlet | Film | 7.8 | 85 |
| 2024 | The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved | Film | — | 85 | |
| 2023 | The One Note Man | Narrator (voice) | Film | 6.7 | 84 |
| 2022 | Quintessentially British | Self | Film | 3.8 | 83 |
| 2022 | Hamlet Within | Film | — | 83 | |
| 2022 | Freedom: 50 Years of Pride | Self | Film | 8.0 | 83 |
| 2021 | Amol Rajan Interviews | Self - Interviewed Guest | TV | — | 82 |
| 2021 | Infinitum: Subject Unknown | Dr. Charles Marland-White | Film | 5.4 | 82 |
| 2021 | Hating Peter Tatchell | Self | Film | 4.1 | 82 |
| 2021 | Great British Theatre | TV | — | 82 | |
| 2020 | Reunited Apart | Self | TV | 5.5 | 81 |
| 2020 | Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet | Film | 10.0 | 81 | |
| 2020 | Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU | Film | 7.0 | 81 | |
| 2019 | Cats | Gus, the Theatre Cat | Film | 4.1 | 80 |
| 2019 | The Good Liar | Roy Courtnay | Film | 6.7 | 80 |
| 2019 | On Broadway | Self | Film | 8.7 | 80 |
| 2019 | The Isle | Film | 4.8 | 80 | |
| 2018 | Animal Crackers | Horatio P. Huntington (voice) | Film | 6.4 | 79 |
| 2018 | All Is True | Earl of Southampton | Film | 6.1 | 79 |
| 2018 | McKellen: Playing the Part | Self | Film | 7.2 | 79 |
| 2018 | National Theatre Live: King Lear | King Lear | Film | 8.1 | 79 |
| 2017 | Beauty and the Beast | Cogsworth | Film | 7.0 | 78 |
| 2017 | The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin | Self | Film | 6.3 | 78 |
| 2017 | The Paul O'Grady Story | Self | Film | 8.3 | 78 |
| 2017 | How a Kite Flies | Mr. Kite (voice) | Film | — | 78 |
| 2017 | Edmund the Magnificent | Self - Narrator (voice) | Film | 7.3 | 78 |
| 2016 | The Roof | And Even Yet Another Fan | Film | 6.3 | 77 |
| 2016 | Shakespeare on Film | Film | 6.0 | 77 | |
| 2016 | Play the Devil: Making Richard III | Film | — | 77 | |
| 2016 | Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage | Self | Film | 7.8 | 77 |
| 2016 | Shakespeare Live! From the RSC | Self - Performer | Film | 7.2 | 77 |
| 2016 | National Theatre Live: No Man's Land | Spooner | Film | 7.5 | 77 |
| 2016 | All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film | Prospero's Speech Reader (voice) | Film | — | 77 |
| 2016 | Shakespeare on Stage, Screen and Elsewhere with Ian McKellen | Film | 6.0 | 77 | |
| 2015 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Self - Guest | TV | 6.1 | 76 |
| 2015 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Self | TV | 6.1 | 76 |
| 2015 | Mr. Holmes | Sherlock Holmes | Film | 6.5 | 76 |
| 2015 | The Dresser | Norman | Film | 6.2 | 76 |
| 2015 | Knights of Classic Drama at the BBC | Self (archive footage) | Film | — | 76 |
| 2014 | Late Night with Seth Meyers | Self - Guest | TV | 5.1 | 75 |
| 2014 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Gandalf the Grey | Film | 7.3 | 75 |
| 2014 | Variety Studio: Actors on Actors | Self | TV | 4.2 | 75 |
| 2014 | X-Men: Days of Future Past | Magneto | Film | 7.5 | 75 |
| 2014 | Trailblazer Honors | Self - Speaker | TV | 7.5 | 75 |
| 2014 | Nelson Mandela Redrawn | Self | Film | 10.0 | 75 |
| 2014 | Miss in Her Teens | The Prologue | Film | 3.0 | 75 |
| 2014 | Double Take: Xavier & Magneto | Self | Film | — | 75 |
| 2013 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Gandalf the Grey | Film | 7.6 | 74 |
| 2013 | Vicious | Freddie Thornhill | TV | 7.5 | 74 |
| 2013 | The Wolverine | Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (uncredited) | Film | 6.4 | 74 |
| 2013 | Muse of Fire | Self | Film | 6.5 | 74 |
| 2013 | The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin | Self | Film | 7.0 | 74 |
| 2013 | The Egg Trick | Magician | Film | 6.0 | 74 |
| 2013 | The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot | Self | Film | 7.8 | 74 |
| 2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Gandalf the Grey | Film | 7.4 | 73 |
| 2012 | Doctor Who: The Snowmen | The Great Intelligence (voice) | Film | 7.7 | 73 |
| 2012 | London 2012: Paralympics Opening Ceremony | Self | Film | 7.5 | 73 |
| 2011 | Perspectives | TV | — | 72 | |
| 2011 | The Betty Driver Story | Self | Film | 10.0 | 72 |
| 2011 | Looking for Lowry | Self | Film | — | 72 |
| 2010 | The Talk | Self | TV | 3.0 | 71 |
| 2010 | A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation | Narrator (voice) | Film | 7.0 | 71 |
| 2010 | Small-Time Revolutionary | Hamish Miller (voice) | Film | 3.0 | 71 |
| 2009 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Self - Guest | TV | 5.0 | 70 |
| 2009 | The Prisoner | 2 / Curtis | TV | 5.6 | 70 |
| 2009 | Theatreland | Self | Film | — | 70 |
| 2008 | King Lear | King Lear | Film | 6.7 | 69 |
| 2007 | The Graham Norton Show | Self - Guest | TV | 7.2 | 68 |
| 2007 | The Graham Norton Show | Self | TV | 7.2 | 68 |
| 2007 | Stardust | Narrator (voice) | Film | 7.3 | 68 |
| 2007 | The Golden Compass | Iorek Byrnison (voice) | Film | 6.1 | 68 |
| 2007 | The Art of Breaking Character | Self | Film | — | 68 |
| 2007 | For the Love of God | The Jackdaw | Film | 4.0 | 68 |
| 2007 | Guerrilla Distribution | Self | Film | — | 68 |
| 2006 | The One Show | Self - Guest | TV | 4.4 | 67 |
| 2006 | The Da Vinci Code | Sir Leigh Teabing | Film | 6.7 | 67 |
| 2006 | Flushed Away | The Toad (voice) | Film | 6.3 | 67 |
| 2006 | Doogal | Zebedee (voice) | Film | 4.9 | 67 |
| 2006 | Saint of 9/11 | Narrator | Film | 5.7 | 67 |
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand | Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto | Film | 6.4 | 67 |
| 2005 | Extras | Ian McKellen | TV | 7.8 | 66 |
| 2005 | Asylum | Dr. Peter Cleave | Film | 6.0 | 66 |
| 2005 | The Magic Roundabout | Zebedee (voice) | Film | 5.4 | 66 |
| 2005 | Ringers: Lord of the Fans | Self | Film | 6.5 | 66 |
| 2005 | Neverwas | Gabriel Finch | Film | 6.4 | 66 |
| 2005 | Eighteen | Jason Anders (voice) | Film | 4.5 | 66 |
| 2005 | The Hobart Shakespeareans | Self | Film | 6.0 | 66 |
| 2004 | The Paul O'Grady Show | TV | 5.1 | 65 | |
| 2004 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Self | TV | 7.0 | 65 |
| 2004 | A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King' | Self | Film | 6.5 | 65 |
| 2004 | The Making of 'The Return of the King' | Self | Film | 8.8 | 65 |
| 2004 | Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!! | Self | Film | 7.5 | 65 |
| 2004 | My First Time | Narrator | Film | 2.0 | 65 |
| 2004 | Peter Tatchell: Just Who Does He Think He Is? | Film | 7.0 | 65 | |
| 2003 | Real Time with Bill Maher | Self | TV | 6.1 | 64 |
| 2003 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Self | TV | 5.3 | 64 |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Gandalf | Film | 8.5 | 64 |
| 2003 | Emile | Emile | Film | 6.2 | 64 |
| 2003 | X-Men: Premieres Around the World | Self | Film | 5.5 | 64 |
| 2003 | The Making of 'The Two Towers' | Film | 8.8 | 64 | |
| 2003 | Evolution X - The Making of X-Men | Film | 3.7 | 64 | |
| 2003 | Churchill | Self - Narrator (voice) | TV | 7.7 | 64 |
| 2003 | Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King | Self | Film | 8.1 | 64 |
| 2003 | The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men! Making X2 | Self | Film | 7.0 | 64 |
| 2003 | X2 | Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto | Film | 7.0 | 64 |
| 2003 | The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision | Self | Film | 6.4 | 64 |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Gandalf | Film | 8.4 | 63 |
| 2002 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Self | TV | 6.1 | 63 |
| 2002 | The Fellowship of the Ring: From Book to Script | Self | Film | — | 63 |
| 2002 | The Fellowship of the Ring: The Road Goes Ever On.. | Self | Film | — | 63 |
| 2002 | The Fellowship of the Ring: Scale | Self | Film | — | 63 |
| 2002 | The Fellowship of the Ring: Cameras in Middle-earth | Self | Film | — | 63 |
| 2002 | The Fellowship of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Cast | Self | Film | — | 63 |
| 2002 | The Fellowship of the Ring: Designing and Building Middle-earth + Weta Workshop + Costume Design | Self | Film | — | 63 |
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Gandalf | Film | 8.4 | 62 |
| 2001 | Quest for the Ring | Self | Film | 5.7 | 62 |
| 2001 | Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring | Self | Film | 6.6 | 62 |
| 2001 | Passage to Middle-Earth: The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings' | Self | Film | 8.0 | 62 |
| 2001 | Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love | Narrator (voice) | Film | 8.0 | 62 |
| 2000 | X-Men: The Mutant Watch | Self - 'Magneto' | Film | 7.0 | 61 |
| 2000 | X-Men | Magneto | Film | 7.0 | 61 |
| 2000 | Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man | Narrator (voice) | Film | 7.1 | 61 |
| 2000 | Now You See Him: 'The Invisible Man' Revealed! | Self | Film | 6.4 | 61 |
| 1999 | Family Guy | Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (voice) | TV | 7.4 | 60 |
| 1999 | David Copperfield | Creakle | TV | 7.1 | 60 |
| 1999 | After Stonewall | Self | Film | 5.6 | 60 |
| 1999 | The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale | Self | Film | 6.5 | 60 |
| 1998 | Parkinson | Self | TV | — | 59 |
| 1998 | Apt Pupil | Kurt Dussander | Film | 6.6 | 59 |
| 1998 | Swept from the Sea | Dr. James Kennedy | Film | 6.4 | 59 |
| 1998 | Gods and Monsters | James Whale | Film | 6.9 | 59 |
| 1997 | The View | Self - Guest | TV | 4.3 | 58 |
| 1997 | HARDtalk | TV | 8.7 | 58 | |
| 1997 | Bent | Uncle Freddie | Film | 6.9 | 58 |
| 1997 | Surviving Friendly Fire | Film | 3.0 | 58 | |
| 1997 | A Bit Of Scarlet | Narrator | Film | 4.4 | 58 |
| 1996 | An Evening with Lily Savage | Self | Film | 10.0 | 57 |
| 1996 | Rasputin | Tsar Nicholas II | Film | 6.6 | 57 |
| 1995 | Restoration | Will Gates | Film | 6.1 | 56 |
| 1995 | Jack & Sarah | William | Film | 6.7 | 56 |
| 1995 | Richard III | Richard III | Film | 6.8 | 56 |
| 1995 | Richard III | Film | 6.8 | 56 | |
| 1995 | Richard III | Film | 6.8 | 56 | |
| 1995 | Cold Comfort Farm | Amos Starkadder | Film | 6.8 | 56 |
| 1994 | Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras | Self | TV | — | 55 |
| 1994 | The Shadow | Dr. Reinhardt Lane | Film | 6.1 | 55 |
| 1994 | I'll Do Anything | John Earl McAlpine | Film | 5.6 | 55 |
| 1994 | Inside the Actors Studio | Self | TV | 7.6 | 55 |
| 1994 | Age of Dissent | Self | Film | — | 55 |
| 1994 | David Macaulay: Roman City | Augustus Caesar (voice) | Film | 9.0 | 55 |
| 1994 | To Die For | Quilt Documentary Narrator (voice) | Film | 2.6 | 55 |
| 1994 | Stonewall 25: Global Voices of Pride and Protest | Self | Film | — | 55 |
| 1993 | Late Show with David Letterman | Self - Guest | TV | 6.4 | 54 |
| 1993 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Self - Guest | TV | 7.3 | 54 |
| 1993 | Last Action Hero | Death | Film | 6.5 | 54 |
| 1993 | Tales of the City | Archibald Anson Gidde | TV | 7.6 | 54 |
| 1993 | And the Band Played On | Bill Kraus | Film | 6.5 | 54 |
| 1993 | Six Degrees of Separation | Geoffrey | Film | 6.4 | 54 |
| 1993 | The Ballad of Little Jo | Percy Corcoran | Film | 6.0 | 54 |
| 1993 | Camp Christmas | Film | 2.7 | 54 | |
| 1993 | A Simple Matter of Justice | Self | Film | — | 54 |
| 1993 | Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up | Narration (voice) | Film | 9.0 | 54 |
| 1992 | Gladio | Aldo Moro (voice) | Film | 7.0 | 53 |
| 1990 | Have I Got News for You | Self | TV | 7.2 | 51 |
| 1990 | Othello | Iago | Film | 7.3 | 51 |
| 1989 | The Simpsons | Ian McKellen (voice) | TV | 8.0 | 50 |
| 1989 | Scandal | John Profumo | Film | 6.0 | 50 |
| 1989 | Countdown to War | Adolf Hitler | Film | 6.7 | 50 |
| 1988 | Scarfe's Follies | Film | — | 49 | |
| 1988 | Windmills of the Gods | Chairman | TV | 6.1 | 49 |
| 1987 | Süleyman the Magnificent | Narrator | Film | — | 48 |
| 1985 | Plenty | Sir Andrew Charleson | Film | 5.7 | 46 |
| 1985 | Zina | Kronfeld | Film | 6.0 | 46 |
| 1984 | Playing Shakespeare | TV | 9.7 | 45 | |
| 1983 | The Keep | Dr. Theodore Cuza | Film | 5.6 | 44 |
| 1983 | Walter and June | Walter | Film | 6.7 | 44 |
| 1982 | American Playhouse | Archibald Anson Gidde | TV | 6.6 | 43 |
| 1982 | The Scarlet Pimpernel | Chauvelin | Film | 6.7 | 43 |
| 1982 | Walter | Walter | Film | 5.9 | 43 |
| 1982 | Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare | Film | 7.0 | 43 | |
| 1981 | Pillar of Fire | Narrator | TV | 9.7 | 42 |
| 1981 | Priest of Love | D.H. Lawrence | Film | 5.0 | 42 |
| 1980 | Dying Day | Antony Skipling | Film | 8.0 | 41 |
| 1979 | Macbeth | Macbeth | Film | 7.5 | 40 |
| 1979 | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour | Alexander Ivanov | Film | — | 40 |
| 1978 | An Audience with... | Self | TV | 5.3 | 39 |
| 1975 | Saturday Night Live | Self - Host | TV | 6.9 | 36 |
| 1974 | Playhouse | Alexander | TV | 7.0 | 35 |
| 1974 | Graceless Go I | Tony | Film | 10.0 | 35 |
| 1972 | Country Matters | David Masterman | TV | 4.6 | 33 |
| 1972 | Hedda Gabler | George Tesman | Film | 8.0 | 33 |
| 1972 | Craven Arms | David Masterman | Film | — | 33 |
| 1971 | Film '72 | Self | TV | 4.7 | 32 |
| 1970 | Solo | TV | — | 31 | |
| 1970 | Edward II | King Edward | Film | 4.9 | 31 |
| 1970 | Hamlet | Hamlet | Film | 8.0 | 31 |
| 1970 | The Tragedy of King Richard II | King Richard II | Film | 7.0 | 31 |
| 1969 | Sesame Street | Self | TV | 7.1 | 30 |
| 1969 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre | Lyov | TV | 7.0 | 30 |
| 1969 | The Promise | Film | 9.0 | 30 | |
| 1969 | A Touch of Love | George | Film | 6.6 | 30 |
| 1969 | Alfred the Great | Roger | Film | 4.7 | 30 |
| 1967 | Omnibus | Self - Reading Poetry | TV | 7.2 | 28 |
| 1967 | ITV Playhouse | Tony | TV | 7.0 | 28 |
| 1966 | David Copperfield | David Copperfield | TV | 6.5 | 27 |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Month | Captain Plume | TV | 5.3 | 26 |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Month | Simon Bliss | TV | 5.3 | 26 |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Month | Ross / T.E. Lawrence | TV | 5.3 | 26 |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Month | George Tesman | TV | 5.3 | 26 |
| 1965 | The Trial and Torture of Sir John Rampayne | Wolf | Film | 10.0 | 26 |
| 1964 | The Wednesday Play | Wolf | TV | 5.2 | 25 |
| 1960 | Coronation Street | Mel Hutchwright | TV | 5.3 | 21 |
| 1956 | Tony Awards | Self - Winner | TV | — | 17 |
| 1953 | The Oscars | Self | TV | 7.0 | 14 |
| 1944 | Golden Globe Awards | Self - Presenter | TV | 7.1 | 5 |
| 1944 | Golden Globe Awards | Self - Winner | TV | 7.1 | 5 |
| Frank and Percy | Percy | Film | — | — | |
| No Man's Land | Spooner | Film | — | — | |
| Untitled Anthony Hopkins Documentary | Self | Film | — | — | |
| Richard II | Richard II | Film | — | — |