Ian McKellen

Born May 25, 1939, Ian McKellen rose to prominence when he starred as the titular king in Richard III (1995), and then continued to get starring roles in successful films such as Gods and Monsters (1998), the X-Men films, and The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) and The Hobbit (2012-2015) franchises. The English actor has received two Academy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award during his lengthy professional career. Since coming out as gay in 1988, he has been a huge advocate for LGBTQ social movements across the globe. In 1979, McKellen was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire and in 1991, was knighted for his services to the performing arts. He was also made a Companion of Honour for services to drama in 2008.