Ian McKellen's Greatest Movies
AMC Movie List

Ian McKellen's Greatest Movies

Gandalf may be his most famous role, but it's only one of many. Which of these McKellen flicks ranks the highest?

rank title points votes your vote
1 The Lord of the Rings [Film Series]
Though he's killled in the first movie, Middle-Earth wizard Gandalf comes back to life in the second and saves the day. 255 347
2 X-Men [Film Series]
Superheroes can come off as silly, but McKellen's Magneto is a threat to be reckoned with, and sometimes, pitied. 154 284
3 Richard III
This Shakespeare adaptation casts McKellen as the titular monarch in an anachronistic, '30s-inspired version of England. 106 220
4 Apt Pupil
The complicated morality of this Stephen King adaptation is perfectly showcased by McKellen's terrifying, heartbreaking portrayal. 102 210
5 Gods and Monsters
McKellen earned an Oscar nom for his portrayal of director James Whale, here entangled in a late-in-life affair. 92 212
6 Six Degrees of Separation
McKellen shines, predictably, as a South African businessman in the movie adaptation of John Guare's play. 39 161
7 Bent
In this brutal story about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals, McKellen plays the small, but crucial part of "Uncle Freddie." 28 148
8 Last Action Hero
A must for McKellen completists, this Arnold Schwarzenegger flick finds the actor making a memorable cameo as Death. 26 180
9 Cold Comfort Farm
Before hitting it big in Richard III, McKellen steals every scene as an over-the-top preacher in small-town England. 19 153
10 The Ballad of Little Jo
The lauded actor vacillates between kindness and quiet terror as the irascible man who takes in the vagrant Jo. -1 139