Courtesy of New Line
Is it because McKellen spent a lifetime as a venerated stage actor before breaking through to Hollywood? Is it because he elevates everything he does, from the cartoonish X-Men series to the pretty terrible Bryan Singer misstep Apt Pupil? Is it because he seems to be having such a damned good time as an unlikely, late-life movie star, whether it’s hosting SNL, showing up at the Oscars with his studly young boyfriend, or generally being totally, loudly, proudly gay in a town of fake hair and real-life beards?
We’re so generally in awe of Sir Ian that we propose a new verb: to McKellen.
McKellen (v) (m
k k
l´ ln´´)
Definition: When a distinguished actor sells out late in his/her career in a way that feels earned and great and non-reprehensible because he/she is awesome and totally deserves it.
Usage: Let’s say Dame Judi Dench accepted the role of Hippolyte, Wonder Woman’s mother in a Wonder Woman film. (Don’t get excited, fanboys, we’re just blue-skying here, though we now expect to see this rumor on Ain’t It Cool by Friday.) You can say, “Yes, I heard she’s McKellening the role.” Or, “She’s reportedly McKellening it over.” As for Sir Ian, we’re ecstatic to hear that he’ll once again be McKellening the white-bearded wizard. —Adam Sternbergh
Hard Hobbit to break: McKellen set for return as Gandalf [Guardian]
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