In his most recent
blog, Sir Ian McKellen reminisces about being a young actor who was keen to learn about fencing and stage fighting. He lists some of his many fight scenes, including the Hamlet/Laertes duel in Hamlet, and the Coriolanus/Aufidius fight in Coriolanus. And while all of these experiences were remarkable on their own, they continue to help McKellen even today, as he plays the role of Gandalf in The Hobbit.
Ian McKellen behind the scenes on The Hobbit.
“Having slain the Great Goblin, I was being a bit too indulgent with the dwarves who meanwhile had mislaid Bilbo in the goblin tunnels,” says McKellen. “I’ve played enough soldiers to see that PJ was right, and in the next take I was very stern. “
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Author: Lily Milos
Lily’s first experience with Tolkien was when the eccentric Mrs. H performed all of the characters from The Hobbit in her seventh grade class. In high school, she felt obliged to decline a second date with a boy who said he had no interest in reading The Lord of the Rings. In college, she unwisely decided to reread her beloved copy of The Hobbit during finals week, with only semi-disastrous results.
When not writing for Middle-earth News, Lily tries not to unnerve her coworkers and family with her extreme geekery, but somehow, Star Wars, Star Trek, Sherlock, Merlin, Doctor Who, The Princess Bride, Back to the Future, superheroes, Disney movies, and of course, Tolkien, seem to have relevance in EVERY conversation.
