Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen says Shakespeare acting helped him when playing the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson's film trilogy. "I know from Shakespeare that big acting works as long as it's rooted in a truth and a heartfelt emotion and the same is true on the screen. It is surprising how big you can be on the screen when the camera is very close," he told reporters in Berlin ahead of the European premiere of the third instalment in the Rings trilogy, The Return Of The King. Sir Ian, who has won more than 40 acting awards and is often described as the leading British actor of his generation, was honoured recently when he visited New Zealand at a cocktail evening, jointly organised by GAP and MP Tim Barnett at Premier House in Wellington, for which tickets were available to the public.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 10th December 2003 - 12:00pm