Alas, the law of averages doesn’t work well for me. I lived in the LA area from '84 to when I moved out to college a couple of years ago (and still go back frequently), but the most famous people I’ve actually spoken to are the writer Diana Gabaldon (friend of my mom’s) and one of the dancers from the original A Chorus Line (I was working at Borders and he saw that the soundtrack was in the bargain bin!). Even the few autographed books I have were signed at book signings I couldn’t make it to.
From everything I’ve seen of him, Sir Ian sounds like an incredible guy, and he is an absolutely amazing (and attractive, since I’m alliterating) actor. I’d give my left nut to have him autograph my beat-up stage copy of Macbeth (the one that’s already been autographed “Best wifhef W. Shakesfpear” by Terry Pratchett ). And my copy of the Richard III screenplay. And, I dunno, my tits or something.
Okay, now I’m gonna slinnk outta this thread and quit cluttering it up like a good little drooling obsessive fan …
I’m with Chronos about Shakespeare - it wasn’t academic stuff, although it was written in kind of an upper-class form. If you look at modern romantic comedies, they’re not very different from some of Shakespeare’s work in many basic ways.
I briefly met Sir Ian once. The mother and I had just seen him and Helen Mirren in Dance of Death (REAL fun show ;)), and we waited out by the stage doors for autographs - and to say hello to one of my favorite actors.
By coincidence, I’d found what I thought was a great joke in the new edition of The New Yorker, and I wanted to see his reaction to it. The cartoon was something like “Announcements You Don’t Want to See in Your Playbill.” The funniest one was “This evening, the role normally played by Sir Ian McKellen will be filled by the man who played Isaac on ‘The Loveboat.’”
I thought the joke rocked. Unfortunately, Sir Ian didn’t get it. Not the right age, or nationality, I suppose. Ah well. Either way, it’s a story (and I guess it went better than my meeting with Arthur Miller), and I did get to tell him he was great or whatever. Perhaps next time - I mean, he’s got to come to Broadway again eventually, right?
Yes, but the same could also be said for Marlowe (who was tremendously popular in his day, and is probably still the most widely read non-Shakespearean Renaissance dramatist), Dekker, Middleton, Peele, Chapman, Webster, Beaumont and Fletcher, and just about anyone you can name – except perhaps Ben Jonson, who was pretty self-consciously trying to reform public tastes, or at least had little regard for them. And their stuff is generally not widely read or performed today, except by specialists. What is it about Shakespeare, anyway?
(I have a book on this phenomenon, actually – Reinventing Shakespeare by Gary Taylor – which focuses on how Shakespeare came to be the cornerstone of the western canon. But a lot of Taylor’s work sets my teeth on edge. ;))
Marley – I don’t see why you couldn’t have an older Antonio, actually…
And since I haven’t contributed enough to the McKellen-drooling in this thread: drools
I actually think Keanu could have worked in the role of Don John, but Brannagh wanted the character to be genuinely evil and menacing. If they’d played the character as a buffoon with a stupid plan, I think Keanu could have pulled it off. Sort of an evil, Renaissance version of Ted from Bill & Ted.
Banger, thanks for the recommendation on The Scarlet Pimpernel. This is a favorite story of mine, so I went to the aforementioned video rental website and found the exact version you’re remembering, and put it on my wish list. Both you and the website do not mention who portrays Percy Blakeney; do you recall?
> He [Ian McKellen] loved doing the films, is proud of his work,
> and feels if nothing else he has done remains popular, that
> trilogy will keep his name alive for generations after he dies.
Guinastasia writes:
> Are you serious? WOW-that’s so cool! Ian McKellen ROCKS.
McKellen discussed how much he liked the Peter Jackson movies of The Lord of the Rings in many interviews during and after the filming.
At least one of us is confused, here. Or do I really want to know?
And Katisha, I never said that Shakespeare was the only guy who was entertaining the masses. The obvious difference between Shakespeare and Marlowe, Dekker, et al is that Shakespeare is the best.
I’ve been a big fan of Sir Ian’s since Gods and Monsters. It has one of the most heartbreaking stories I’ve ever heard and he conveys it perfectly.
About six months ago I read a quote from him commenting on a new Ian McKellan postal stamp being issued. He was thrilled at the thought of all these people licking his backside.
Years ago, I flipped on PBS and caught him performing his “Acting Shakespeare” show, and spent the next hour riveted by his discussion of acting technique and the playwright. One of the highlights was his long discussion of the “Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow” scene from Macbeth. It was a wonderful way to experience Shakespeare, being taught without being condescended to.
Sir Ian McKellen is also incredibly funny. I watched the Saturday Night Live he hosted a little more than a year and a half ago, and I don’t remember ever laughing so hard at SNL. Also, his interview on Behind the Actors’ Studio had me glued to the TV.
I’ll second that. I saw X2 yesterday, and even though I know Sir Ian McKellen is openly gay, I couldn’t get over how sexy he came across as Magneto. Or am I the only one here who saw him that way?
A few years ago on Oscar night PBS aired a production of King Lear. It starred (I should be shot for not remembering his name) the fellow who played Bilbo Baggins in PJ’s LotR.IIRC it was a BBC production.
Perhaps you could find it in a video store, or even a library?
Yes, you should be, because Ian Holm rocked the house in that production. I had it on tape and was foolish enough to kindly donate it to my high school drama company’s video library - where doubtless no one even knows it’s there, let alone appreciates it.
By the way, I saw X2 again over the weekend. I didn’t notice the wink before. Definitely a highlight of the movie.
). And my copy of the Richard III screenplay. And, I dunno, my tits or something.
