Ian McKellen says it was ‘unexpected’ to play Hamlet in his 80s

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

Actor Ian McKellen has revealed he has taken on the role of Hamlet three times in his career, as he discussed how unexpected it was to revisit the part in his 80s.

Speaking during the National Theatre’s roundtable discussion, Hamlet In The Round, the 86-year-old talked about playing the character in his 20s as well as in a ballet production.

Ian McKellen was joined by other actors who have taken on one of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles on stage, including Olivier-winners Adrian Lester, Rory Kinnear, Alex Jennings and Michelle Terry, who played a female interpretation of the character.

He said he played Hamlet at the Theatre Royal Windsor in 2021 after director Sean Mathias approached him.

“I played it unexpectedly. (Mathias) had the idea that perhaps I could contribute something as an old Hamlet,” he said.

“I was absolutely ready to do it.”

The play follows Prince Hamlet as he seeks revenge after his father’s ghost reveals he was murdered by his own brother, Claudius, who then married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, and seized the throne.

The character is said to be in his 30s, and Sir Ian’s interpretation aged 81 received mixed reviews from critics.

The Lord Of The Rings star said: “When I came to do Hamlet, I didn’t try to be young, I didn’t try to give my interpretation to Hamlet, I just said the words.

“I was just thinking about the words, and not what was behind the words.”

Ian McKellen also starred as the character in a performance at the Arts Theatre in 1971, and during the discussion he revealed he played the role a third time in a ballet production.

Speaking about the Danish ballet dancer, director and choreographer, he said: “Peter Schaufuss asked me to come and be in the ballet of Hamlet.

“There was a young man dancing as Hamlet, and as he would dance I would speak the soliloquies.”

Ian McKellen said he was “lucky” he first played the role aged 29, and spoke about the different insight he has had into the character.

He said: “It’s a good age, because you can still relate to being a teenager, which perhaps (Hamlet) is at the beginning of the play, and you can also relate to the slightly mature Hamlet at the end of the play.”

The veteran actor has played a number of Shakespearean characters on stage, including Richard II, Macbeth, Coriolanus and King Lear.

On screen, he is best known for playing Magneto in the X-Men films and Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s fantasy trilogy, based on the books from JRR Tolkien.

His many acting credits have led to a number of accolades over the years including several Olivier Awards.

The full interview is available to watch on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel.