McKellen: Playing the Part

McKellen: Playing the Part, a film directed by Joe Stephenson and released in 2017, offers an intimate glimpse into the life and career of revered actor Ian McKellen. This engaging documentary provides the audience with an unparalleled and incredibly personal insight into McKellen’s journey, through hardly-seen archival footage, personal photographs and thoughtful introspection from McKellen himself. Additional performances from Frances Barber and Adam Brown further flesh out this candid exploration of McKellen’s personal and professional life.

The film unfolds as a fascinating retrospect, beginning with McKellen's early life and tracing his journey through school drama societies to sleeping on the streets of Covent Garden while trying to break into the London theater scene. Born to a working-class family in the industrial north of England in 1939, the film paints a vivid picture of McKellen's upbringing during the war and post-war years. It explores how his passion for acting was kindled at a young age, leading him to pursue the craft with an unbridled determination that would ultimately make him one of Britain's most celebrated actors.

However, McKellen: Playing the Part isn't confined to the stage and screen. The documentary delves deeply into McKellen's personal life and beliefs, providing the audience with a glimpse of the man behind the legendary persona. It examines his struggles, triumphs, and importantly, his coming out as gay in the late 1980s, an act that saw him become a crucial advocate for LGBT rights. Without sensationalism, it carefully navigates the intersection of McKellen's private identity with his public image, offering an authentic inside look at his battle for acceptance in himself, his profession, and the society at large.

McKellen's admission to acting as a means of escape is portrayed with candor. The film illuminates the struggle of a man trying to balance his private life and professional commitments, often finding solace in the detachment of becoming 'someone else'. It explores his formative experiences in regional theatre, gruelling years with the National Theatre under Laurence Olivier, and his meteoric rise to global stardom through roles such as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and Magneto in the X-Men series.

Stars Frances Barber and Adam Brown lend their talents to the film, acting as narrative devices, bringing to life the people and experiences that have shaped McKellen's remarkable journey. Their performances, along with the visionary direction of Joe Stephenson, further enrich the narrative, creating a compelling tapestry of McKellen’s life and career.

McKellen: Playing the Part is more than just a biographical examination of a pivotal actor, it’s a masterful portrayal of artists' battle against societal odds, and a tribute to McKellen as not just an actor, but also an activist and a human. Stephenson's direction is thoughtful and sharp, taking its time to weave a psychological portrait of the actor that is rich in detail and depth.

The documentary features a wealth of personal archive material, including private photo albums and diaries, thus offering a rare inside look into McKellen's life offscreen. From moments of jovial camaraderie with great contemporaries like Patrick Stewart and Judi Dench to snippets of backstage wizardry, the film dives into McKellen's world, providing us with an intimate portrait of his life as one of the most influential figures in the performing arts world.

Francis Barber shines, filling the screen with a radiant presence, whilst Adam Brown puts forth intense performances. Together, they bring an extra degree of gravity to the narrative, providing an ideal counterbalance to McKellen’s own heartfelt revelations and introspections. Hilary Mantel's recordings alongside the interviews with McKellen further propel the narrative.

From the stage to the big screen to the battle zones of equality, McKellen: Playing the Part is an emotive ride through one man's experience of presenting himself to the world, culminating with the legacy left behind by one of the acting greats of our time. The film stands as a testament not just to McKellen's immense talent, but also his deep personal conviction in fighting for the rights that he, along with countless others, deserved.

McKellen: Playing the Part effectively captures the life and spirit of an incomparable artist, remarkable in both his many achievements and the humanity he consistently displayed throughout his life. It’s an enlightening and inspiring tribute to the actor who, in his own words, played many parts, but remained firmly committed to simply being Ian McKellen.