Quotes from Ian Mckellen

I don't have Gandalf the White's certainty about everything.

The spirit of the four hobbits in 'Lord of the Rings,' I suppose I miss that.

You see people in Hollywood trying to make blockbuster after blockbuster, but it's not possible. There's some god up there saying, 'You will fail now.' But I suppose that's true of us all.

The press like to talk to actors. They mustn't be surprised when actors talk back to them.

Why live outside the US? Do you want health care or safe food products or democracy or something? They're all overrated. Stay for the excellent cable TV.

In fact, my face has shrunk in the meantime, but it won't be particularly noticeable because it's covered up with hair. So I hope I'm not alarmed if I ever do sit through the five movies.

You always think that 70 is the end of the road: 'Somebody died when they were 73; good life'. You're closer to death, and you better make sure you don't waste too much of your time doing things you don't want to do. No point in saying things you don't believe in.

Doing some of the 'Lord Of The Rings' press junkets got a bit claustrophobic.

'The Da Vinci Code' is the most popular book of our times.

I don't think many people will re-read 'The Da Vinci Code.'

Because I was in the business of translating the 'X-Men' from the very successful comics, and taking the most popular book of the 20th century in 'The Lord of the Rings,' and making it into three movies, I hope people realize I wouldn't get involved in anything I didn't think was really going to be worth their while.

So it's joyful to me, in my 71st year, to be able to be in a play that is absolutely right for my age and my experience, and that is a popular success. What more could you ask as an actor?

Every time you work is a challenge. There's a constant worry about it, and it's a side of acting I don't like.

Will I miss Gandalf? Well, I don't miss him, because people are constantly coming up to me mentioning him and talking about him, so I don't feel that I've lost contact.

The conventional wisdom is that if you are gay, you cannot play the romantic straight lead in a movie.

If I was a star, it would be difficult to go off and do 'Coronation Street.' So I guess I'm not a star.

When I appeared in 'Coronation Street,' I lived in Manchester and enjoyed it very much.

Fame creeps up on you.

If you get criticized, good - I don't think people get criticized enough. People talk behind your back and they criticize you, but they don't often come up and say it to you.

I learned that coming out was crucial to self-esteem.

Try and understand what part you have to play in the world in which you live. There's more to life than you know and it's all happening out there. Discover what part you can play and then go for it.

Why do you act? You act for an audience. In the theatre, you're in their presence. Film stars don't know what it is to have an audience.

How do I act so well? What I do is I pretend to be the person I'm portraying in the film or play.

Some relationships get easier as you get older, depending on what sort of person you are. I don't think I've got any better at them.