The name Ian McLean may be unfamiliar to everyone, but when I say that he is the actor of Gandalf in "Lord of the Rings" and Magneto in "X-Men", everyone should be able to quickly come to mind his appearance. Just yesterday, Ian McLean spent his 82nd birthday.
Despite his immense influence in show business, Ian McLean didn't start making serious appearances on screen until his forties in the 1980s. He kicked off his acting career in 1983 with Michael Mann's World War II fantasy thriller Devil's Soldier Fort, followed by highlights including Will Smith's early television series Six Degrees of Separation, the 1930s adaptation of Richard III, and the rendition in Phantom Hero, which showcased his acting skills well in an obviously bad film.
His Oscar nomination for his role as gay director James Wyler in 1998's Gods and Beasts made him internationally prominent and laid the groundwork for his future career in film history. In 2000, Ian McLean starred in X-Men as one of Marvel's greatest villains, Magneto. Played the grey-robed wizard Gandalf in 2001's The Lord of the Rings. These two roles will keep Ian McLean alive for the next decade and beyond, including three more X-Men films and five works attached to Middle-earth.
Recent high-profile works include the legendary detective in "Mr. Holmes" and the role of Gu Shihua in "Beauty and the Beast". There are also many more theatrical adaptations, such as The Makeup Artist with Anthony Hopkins. Finally, although he is 82 years old, I hope that he will stay healthy while bringing some good works to the audience.