Ian McKellen says he turned down $1.5m (£1.14m) to officiate at Napster billionaire Sean Parker’s wedding dressed as Gandalf the wizard.
McKellen, who played the character in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, didn’t know the source of the offer when he was asked to marry Parker and his wife, singer Alexandra Lenas. The request came via a mutual acquaintance of Parker and McKellen’s, according to the Mail on Sunday. McKellen said he would have considered the offer if Parker hadn’t stipulated that he come in character.
“I don’t go dressing up, except in plays and things,” McKellen said. “So I said, ‘I am sorry, Gandalf doesn’t do weddings.’”
[…]
Even though Gandalf didn’t marry Parker,the real McKellen may be available for weddings: the actor qualified as a celebrant in 2013, which allowed him to officiate the civil wedding of actor Patrick Stewart and musician Sunny Ozell.
Via The Guardian.
McKellen can afford to do what he wants, at this point in his career. It’s good to reach the “can’t be bought” stage….
Well, Sir Ian has always been a class act.
PS -- it’s probably also in part because Parker appears to be extra-stupid. Presumably Parker doesn’t realize that the makeup/effects and costume don’t belong to the actor, and McKellen can’t exactly snap his fingers and have a makeup artist come spend hours to get it just right. That hat is probably hanging up in Peter Jackson’s office somewhere. “Oh, Pete, can you ship me my Gandalf gear?” I don’t even want to think what that costume would fetch at a props auction.
Caine@#2:
Have you seen “Mr Holmes”? You can tell he absolutely was having a blast.
Marcus:
I own it! :D
Caine@#5:
Dude can rock regency wear.
I don’t think he’s ever had as much fun on screen as he did in his sitcom Vicious with his old friend Sir Derek Jacobi. Then again, you sometimes get the impression in that that he isn’t actually doing any acting, just being himself as he would be if he didn’t give a hoot about anyone else’s feelings…
I can see it now— Gandalf blocking the aisle shouting “You shall not pass!” at the bride, groom, &tc as they enter…
blf #8
That would be a wedding I would willingly attend.
I must admit it didn’t really “twig” with me at the time just who it was playing the title role, but I really enjoyed his performance in 1995’s Richard III, which is also an imaginative & well-done repositioning of the story. And, leaning something new (or forgotten?), the Rotten Tomatoes site(see link) says McKellen was one of the two writers.
(I actually own the DVD, but am not quite sure where it is at the moment… bummer!)
@blf 10
“…one of the two writers.”
!
So, what do the credits say? “Written by Ian Mckellen, with additional material by W. Shakespeare.”?