Sir Ian McKellen has appeared in theatres around the country and on television and film screens since the 1960s. Now, with his parts in the XMen films and the phenomenally successful The Lord of the Rings trilogy, he is celebrated worldwide. Along with McKellen's recent rise globally, Mark Barratt covers his childhood, his time at Cambridge University with, among others, Trevor Nunn and Derek Jacobi, theatre roles in projects such as Henry V and The Seagull, Macbeth at the RSC, Broadway, running The Actor's Company and the McKellen/Petherbridge Company and McKellen's support of gay rights. This is a well-rounded, essential and readable view of one of Britain's greatest stage and screen actors.