Sir Ian McKellen schools Ricky Gervais in ‘Acting 101’
With six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BIF Award, two Saturn Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and two Critics’ Choice Awards to go along with two Oscar nominations, four BAFTA nominations and five Emmy Award nominations, who better to hold court with Ricky Gervais on ‘acting 101’. It was McKellen’s 2006 performance in Extras where he played himself directing Gervais’ character Andy Millman in a play about gay lovers. McKellen received a 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – Comedy Series nomination for his performance.
In addition, McKellen was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1979 Birthday Honours, knighted in the 1991 New Year Honours for services to the performing arts, and made a Companion of Honour for services to drama and to equality in the 2008 New Year Honours. A well-known fixture in British theatre, McKellen made his first professional appearance in 1961 at the Belgrade Theatre, as Roper in A Man for All Seasons.
After you’re done with Acting 101, check out Sir Ian McKellen preparing ‘the best scrambled eggs in the world’.
