How Ian McKellen Modeled His Original Voice Into A ‘Smoky’ One To Play Gandalf In The Lord of the Rings? Actor Reveals

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As a dedicated follower and admirer of the magical world that J.R.R. Tolkien created, I can wholeheartedly say that Ian McKellen’s portrayal of Gandalf has left an indelible mark on me and countless others. His ability to breathe life into the venerable wizard, not just on the big screen but also in the hearts of fans, is truly a testament to his talent and dedication.

Ian McKellen’s portrayal of Gandalf in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings will remain deeply ingrained in people’s hearts and the annals of on-screen Gandalf performances. He is the sole actor from Tolkien’s film adaptations to have been nominated for an Oscar. Additionally, McKellen is one of the select actors who reprised their role as Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s trilogy of The Hobbit films.

In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, McKellen shared that he patterned his voice for the role of Gandalf by emulating the voice and mannerisms of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings. Remarkably, he utilized a recording of Tolkien reading a section from The Hobbit to help him capture the distinctive, English, and somewhat academic tone of the character’s voice.

As the actor mentions, attempting to emulate Tolkien’s voice – a professor who sadly passed away in 1973 – was inspiring for him, even though he didn’t do it particularly well. Hearing the late author’s voice brought to life by McKellen was appealing.

Furthermore, creating the audio wasn’t significantly different from producing a movie, given that he had sold the Lord of the Rings film rights. “In fact,” McKellen continued, “he was quite content with their cinematic interpretation, even though he never got to witness our adaptation, naturally.

Through several decades of a prosperous acting career, Sir Ian McKellen has reached unprecedented levels of acclaim, particularly due to his role in The Lord of the Rings.

When asked about his sudden rise to fame for portraying the titular wizard, the actor revealed that he was just doing his job and “suddenly everybody knew about it.” He considers himself “lucky” for the amount of love and recognition the role gave him. “I’m a rather shy person, but I can go into a room of strangers these days, and there’s bound to be at least one person who wants to have a word with Gandalf,” the actor quipped. 

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2024-10-09 20:22