Sir Ian McKellen

NON-FICTION TEXT

Early Life Ian Murray McKellen was born in Burnley, England in 1939. His father, Denis, was a lay preacher and a civil engineer and his mother, Margery, was a homemaker. Their household, which included Ian’s sister, Jean, was religious but tolerant. Tragedy struck in 1951 when Ian’s mother died from breast cancer and grief hit the family again 12 years later, in 1963, when Denis died in an automobile accident. When he was young, his parents and his sister used to take Ian to many theatrical productions, including Shakespearean plays. Ian was also a bright student and, at the age of 18, he won a scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge St. Catherine’s College.

Acting Career While studying at Cambridge, Ian joined the university’s Marlowe Society (A well-respected acting club) and appeared in many productions. In 1961 he appeared in his first professional production, A Man for All Seasons, and in 1991, after many successful acting roles, he received a knighthood for his achievements on the stage. Ian is also recognised as a commanding film actor and has been nominated for an Oscar multiple times. His later films reached broader audiences and in 2000 he starred in the first of several X-Men films as the villain Magneto. While filming X-Men, Ian was cast as the wizard Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He received a Screen Actors Guild Award for best supporting actor in this role as well as one of his Oscar nominations. Ian went on to reprise the role of Gandalf for The Hobbit trilogy.

Activism Ian is a prominent gay-rights activist. He publicly announced he was gay for the first time on BBC Radio in 1988 although he had come out in his personal and professional life decades earlier. Ian co- founded Stonewall, a well-known LGBT rights group, in 1989. In June 2015, shortly after the US Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage, Ian served as one of the grand marshals of the annual New York Pride Parade.

PLEASE TURN OVER FOR YOUR QUESTIONS [Source: biography.com | August 2018] Comprehension (The ability to understand what has been read) For how many years was Ian a professional actor before he received his knighthood?

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Inference (The ability to make a conclusion based on what has been read) What, from Ian’s youth, do you think played a part in him wanting to become an actor?

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Vocabulary (The body of words known by an individual) These are four words linked to this text. Use a physical or online dictionary to find the appropriate definition for them: tolerant ______scholarship ______reprise ______prominent ______

Don’t forget to ask an adult to help explain any other words you don’t understand.

[Source: biography.com | August 2018] Comprehension (The ability to understand what has been read) For how many years was Ian a professional actor before he received his knighthood?

Thirty years (1961-1991)

Inference (The ability to make a conclusion based on what has been read) What, from Ian’s youth, do you think played a part in him wanting to become an actor?

Ian’s parents and sister used to take him to many theatrical productions.

Vocabulary (The body of words known by an individual) These are four words linked to this text. Use a physical or online dictionary to find the appropriate definition for them: tolerant To accept things you don’t necessarily agree with or do yourself. scholarship A payment to pay for some or all of one’s education at a specific place. reprise To repeat. prominent Important and/or famous.

[Source: biography.com | August 2018]