But I think that was more of a challenge than a superstition. As a kid, I was a bit cautious about not stepping on cracks in a sidewalk. So even mentioning Macbeth was considered bad luck. There probably wasn’t enough money in the kitty to pay the actors. So in the old days, if you were in a touring company and you found out that you were doing Macbeth, it meant there was trouble. It’s a short play, it’s an exciting play, it’s easy to understand, and it attracts great acting. If you want to sell out a theater, just mount a production of Macbeth. Macbeth is a very popular play with audiences. The most likely explanation is the most practical. Oliver Reed throwing up on Steve McQueen, and Robert Newton stumbling on stage and saying “If you think I’m pissed, wait till you see the Duke of York.” I don’t see how you could be in control if you’re inebriated, do you? If drinking was a requirement for someone to be an actor, and they couldn’t function on stage without a drink, then I would think they should perhaps change their jobs. There are actors who feel the need to have a little drink before they go onstage, and they probably act worse as a result of it. So I’ll thank you not to be so rude about the Brits. (With an expression of exaggerated umbrage.) Well, there are many famous drunk actors, the most famous of which is probably W.C. Are you the exception that makes the rule, or is it just too early in the day? And yet talking to you now, you seem completely sober. I was under the impression that British theater actors, at least the good ones, are all drunks. Of course, it can be useful if you’re writing an official letter, like trying to get a visa or something passed through Parliament. I tend to discourage people from calling me “Sir Ian,” because I don’t like being separated out from the rest of the population. But you also end up in the company of people you don’t admire, including some rather dodgy politicians. So it’s very flattering to be in their company. who have been knighted, and I’ve spent much of my life admiring many of them, like Laurence Olivier. There are some tremendous actors in the U.K. Except, of course, when it comes to Photoshopped t-shirts that make fun of wizards and homophobia. McKellen teased me about wearing shorts (complimenting my boyish calves, thank you very much) and proved that he has a healthy sense of humor about himself. Prior to the ceremony, I was invited to speak with him at the local college’s library. During his acceptance speech, he talked about how the Georgia governor nearly replaced Martin Luther King Day with “Ian McKellen Day,” and how he became the first openly gay man to legally serve in the American military (long story). I met with McKellen at the Savannah Film Festival, where he was given a lifetime-achievement award. Get over it!” With all due respect to the gay community, they don’t have to contend with nearly the same anxiety and helplessness as a Lord of the Rings blogger. Was the joke that McKellen has played multiple movie roles and that can be confusing? Or that he’s played two seemingly non-gay wizards while he is, in fact, gay?) But it would’ve been so much more poignant had somebody thought to Photoshop his shirt with the message “I may or may not be Gandalf again. Get over it!” The fake T-shirt was vaguely funny, assuming it made any sense. Get over it!” Somebody eventually figured out that the picture had been Photoshopped, and McKellen was actually wearing a shirt that read, “Some people are gay. Last September, McKellen caused a minor stir when photos of him at a London rally showed the actor wearing a T-shirt that read “ I’m Gandalf and Magneto. This is a man who famously went on a talk show in Singapore, a country with strict laws against homosexuality, and asked the host, “Can you recommend any decent gay bars?” But when it comes to his future as Middle Earth’s favorite wizard, he’s been downright cagey. As least with McKellen, there’s never been any mystery about the latter. For most of 2010, McKellen kept us guessing about his involvement in the Lord of the Rings prequel the way some actors keep us guessing about their sexuality. But for anybody who’s followed the Internet hand-wringing about the on-again-off-again production, it can feel presumptuous to assume anything until we actually see the opening credits roll. Along with recent reports that Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett,and the guy who plays Gollum are also Hobbit-ready, it would seem that the band, as they say, is really getting back together. Sir Ian McKellen made it official Tuesday, announcing on his Web site that he’ll playing Gandalf in the upcoming two-part movie adaptation of The Hobbit, which begins filming in New Zealand next month. If you’re the kind of person who gets obsessive about all things Tolkienian, it’s been a pretty big week.
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