I await with abated breath to watch the man known as one of British stage royalty & one of RSC's (The Royal Shakespeare Company) former repertory actors, in action. To anyone who has studied theatre or knows theatre, this is a chance that is unpassable. There have been times when I mention the name Sir Ian McKellen & get blank looks until I say "Gandalf" & "Magneto".. feel kinda sad that most only know him from his Hollywood outings. Heck, this man made a name for himself on stage & it was with his theatre work & contribution that earned him a knighthood in 1991 & a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) before that in 1979.
Still the man himself says he's fine that people will remember him as Gandalf.. lol.. what a man he is =) Sir Ian McKellen's love for the theatre is truly commendable even though he has had experienced the bright lights of Hollywood.. to him, keeping his roots is what matters.. how many stars do you think would turn down several movie offers just to devote a whole year to doing Lear? I'm so thankful he choose to dedicate a whole year to doing theatre because i his decision, I get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a great theatre legend in action.
Some of the other notable RSC actors who have made it to Hollywood:
Ben Kingsley, Patrick Stewart, Sean Bean, Tim Curry, Richard Burton, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Ralph & Joseph Fiennes, Jude Law, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Helen Mirren, Lord Laurence Olivier, Peter O'Toole, Ian Richardson, Tilda Swinton
"I love filming, but it's just shadows on a screen. You're not as intimately connected to the whole project, just concerned with your part. Whereas in theatre, you are there the whole time and the audience becomes a part of the process."
~ Sir Ian McKellen
No comments:
Post a Comment