Acting · Writing · age 87
Ian McKellen
Best rated: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (9.0)
- Films
- 45
- Avg rating
- 6.71
- Peak run
- 2000’03
- Oscar noms
- 2
Every film, by IMDb rating
The career
Dot size shows IMDb votes. Films with fewer than 1,000 votes sit on the baseline.
As an actor, films with 1,000+ votes
Ian by the numbers
Average
6.71
37 rated films
Vote weighted
6.87
bigger films count more
Median
6.7
half are better
Consistency
±1.17
rating spread
Career
57y
1969 to 2025
Total votes
13M
across every film
Best
9.0
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Worst
2.8
Doogal
Newest first
Filmography
| 2025 |  The Christophers | Julian Sklar | 6.8 | 6,604 |
| 2024 | Hamlet | Hamlet | · | 294 |
| 2023 | The Critic | Jimmy Erskine | 6.0 | 6,785 |
| 2021 | Infinitum: Subject Unknown | Dr. Charles Marland-White | 4.0 | 10,099 |
| 2019 |  The Good Liar | Roy Courtnay | 6.7 | 54,942 |
| 2018 | National Theatre Live: King Lear | King Lear | · | 499 |
| 2018 | All Is True | Earl of Southampton | 6.3 | 6,151 |
| 2017 | Animal Crackers | Horatio P. Huntington | 5.8 | 4,614 |
| 2015 |  Mr. Holmes | Sherlock Holmes | 6.8 | 70,619 |
| 2014 |  X-Men: Days of Future Past | Magneto | 7.9 | 799K |
| 2014 | Miss in Her Teens | The Prologue | · | 485 |
| 2014 |  The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Gandalf | 7.4 | 627K |
| 2013 |  The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Gandalf | 7.8 | 763K |
| 2012 |  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Gandalf | 7.8 | 939K |
| 2007 |  The Golden Compass | Iorek Byrnison | 6.1 | 205K |
| 2007 |  Stardust | Narrator | 7.6 | 301K |
| 2006 |  X-Men: The Last Stand | Erik Lehnsherr | 6.6 | 581K |
| 2006 |  The Da Vinci Code | Sir Leigh Teabing | 6.7 | 491K |
| 2006 |  Flushed Away | The Toad | 6.6 | 152K |
| 2006 | Doogal | Zebedee | 2.8 | 5,723 |
Better together?
Ian McKellen's regulars
- Peter JacksonDirector and actor · 6 films · 8.28 avg▲+1.08
- Bryan SingerDirector and actor · 4 films · 7.32 avg▲+0.45
- Orlando BloomCo-star · 3 films · 8.90 avg▲+2.29
- Elijah WoodCo-star · 3 films · 8.90 avg▲+2.36
- Ken StottCo-star · 3 films · 7.67 avg▲+0.92
- Richard ArmitageCo-star · 3 films · 7.67 avg▲+1.12
- Martin FreemanCo-star · 3 films · 7.67 avg▲+1.10
- Hugh JackmanCo-star · 3 films · 7.27 avg▲+0.47
- Bill CondonDirector and actor · 3 films · 6.93 avg▲+0.46
- Matthew Butler-HartDirector and actor · 2 films · 4.00 avg▼−1.74
The number on the right is the lift: their average together minus the average of their two careers.
Takes
On Ian McKellen
3 nominations, 1 wins
Awards record
- NominatedBest Supporting Actor · Academy Awards 2002Ian McKellen
- WonMale Actor in a Supporting Role · Actor Awards (formerly SAG Awards) 2002Ian McKellen
- NominatedBest Actor · Academy Awards 1999Ian McKellen
Information courtesy of IMDb (https://www.imdb.com). Used with permission. Ratings and votes as of the latest nightly refresh.