It has long been known that an actor performs for love of the art. No matter how old he gets, it is his undying passion for performance that keeps him going, regardless of age and health. And Sir Ian McKellen is no different.
Even at 86 years of age, when most people are often in bed or reminiscing about the “good old days,” McKellen says he has no plans to retire from acting. He wants to keep entertaining until “the legs and the mind give way.”
Ian McKellen On His Retirement Plans
The veteran British actor, known for playing Gandalf in ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ and Magneto in the ‘X-Men,’ shared the comment in a recent interview with Variety.
“I like work so much,” McKellen told the publication. “I find it fulfilling and gratifying, and it gives me a lot back. It keeps me energetic. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning. Why would I stop doing it, really? If the legs give way and the mind gives way, then I’ll have to stop. But in the meantime, I’m loving it really.”
He has said similar things before in an appearance on BBC Breakfast, where he said he would continue acting “as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working.”
Related: Shakespeare Legend Ian McKellen Roasts ‘Hamnet’ for Its “Improbable” Plot
Ian McKellen’s Stage Fall and Recovery
McKellen’s strong determination comes after a tough time when he fell from the stage while performing in Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London in September 2024. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, but he has since recovered well.
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The ordeal prompted him to think more about ageing and mortality. In a February 2026 interview with The Times, he said, “I have accepted that I’m not immortal. Yet I still function.“
He added, “Really the inevitability of mortality comes not just from what you are feeling about yourself, but the simple fact that your friends die — all the time. When you are young, death is astonishing, a fascinating thing, but it’s a feature of getting older. Death becomes ever present.”
Ian McKellen Returns as Magneto in ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘
Now, far from slowing down, McKellen is apparently at the best phase of his legendary career, as he is set to return as Magneto in this year’s highly anticipated ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ which is scheduled for a December 2026 release.
There are also rumors circulating about him returning as Gandalf for the upcoming ‘The Lord of the Rings‘ projects, a possibility that clearly excites him. He has previously set the record straight, saying he would prefer no one else to step into the shoes of the iconic wizard, showing how closely he feels connected to the character even after all these years.
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