While at Cambridge, McKellen was a member of the , where he appeared in 23 plays over the course of 3 years.
McKellen finds himself in the peculiar predicament of the star who strains to carry a frail supporting cast.
While the practical approach had served The Lord of the Rings extremely well, such techniques proved futile on , with the 3D cameras exposing any attempts at in-camera trickery.
In 2010, McKellen extended his support for 's in which a group of gay and lesbian teenagers helped to produce an anti-homophobia campaign pack for schools and youth centres across the city.
The following year he starred as in the made for television movie 1996 starring as.
Fully aware that the west would stand or fall on the outcome of 's mission, he advised the lords to launch an attack against the , thereby drawing Sauron's eye away from Frodo's likely location.