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Acting Awards, Honours, and
Appointments
His portrayal of James Whale in the film Gods and Monsters received honors from around the world, including nominations for the Academy Award® (Oscar®), Screen Actors Guild Award, the Golden Satellite, and the Golden Globe®. In 1999 he was named "Best Actor" by the National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Chicago Film Critics Association, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Florida Film Critics, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Online Film Critics Society, the British Independent Film Awards, and many others.
McKellen was honored with an Olivier Award for his performance as Max in the world premiere of Martin Sherman's riveting and ground-breaking play Bent. He then won the Tony, Drama Desk, New York Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his portrayal of Salieri in the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus. In 1982 he was voted The Royal Television Society's Performer of the Year for his portrayal of the mentally-handicapped hero of Stephen Frears' Walter, the film which launched Britain's Channel 4. He won his third Drama Desk Award when he took his one-man show, Acting Shakespeare, to New York in 1983. After winning the London Critics' Award and the London Evening Standard Award for Iago in Trevor Nunn's Othello at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1989, he produced and starred in the Royal National Theatre's world tour of Richard III, which had its 300th performance in Los Angeles in 1992. In 1991, McKellen was knighted by the Queen for his services to the performing arts, and he succeeded Stephen Sondheim as Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University. |
| Acting Awards: |
| 1964 | Clarence Derwent Award (A Scent of Flowers) | |
| 1966 | Plays & Players' Most Promising Actor | |
| 1974 | New York Drama Desk Award (King Lear/The Wood Demon) | |
| 1976 | Plays & Players' London Theatre Critics' Award for Best Actor (Macbeth) | |
| 1977 | Society of West End Theatres (SWET) Award for Comedy Performance of the Year (The Alchemist) | |
| 1978 | Society of West End Theatres (SWET) Award for Best Actor of the Year (Pillars of the Community) | |
| 1979 | Society of West End Theatres (SWET) Award for Best Actor of the Year (Bent) | |
| 1980 | NY Drama Desk Award (Amadeus) NY Drama League Delia Austrian Medal for Most Distinguished Performance by an Actor or Actress on the Broadway Stage (Amadeus) Outer Critics' Circle Award (Amadeus) Tony for Best Actor (Amadeus) |
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| 1982 | Royal Television Society Performer of the Year (Walter) | |
| 1983 | NY Drama Desk Award (Acting Shakespeare) Plays & Players' Award (Acting Shakespeare) |
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| 1984 | SWET Award for Best Actor in a Revival (Wild Honey) Peabody Award for Broadcasting (Shakespeare Birthday Programme) |
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| 1985 | London Evening Standard Award - Best Actor (Coriolanus) | |
| 1988 | The Elliot Norton Ward (Acting Shakespeare) | |
| 1989 | London Evening Standard Award - Best Actor (Othello) London Critics' Circle Drama Theatre Award for Best Actor of 1989 (Othello) |
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| 1992 | Society of West End Theatres (SWET) Award for Best Actor of the Year (Richard III) | |
| 1993 | Cable Ace Best Supporting Actor (And The Band Played On) Emmy Nomination Best Supporting Actor (And The Band Played On) |
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| 1996 | Golden Globe® Award Best
Supporting Actor (Rasputin) Emmy Nomination Best Supporting Actor (Rasputin) |
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| 1996 | Felix Awards -- European Actor of the Year (Richard III) | |
| 1996 | Golden Quill: the Sir John Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts, presented by the Shakespeare Guild at the Folger Library, Washington, D.C., 20 May 1996. | |
| 1997 | Audie Award for Best Solo Performance 1997 (The Odyssey) | |
| 1998 | Lifetime Achievement Ovation Award, Theatre LA | |
| 1998 - 1999 | Numerous awards for Gods and Monsters and Apt Pupil,
including: Best Actor - The Independent Spirit Award Best Actor - National Board of Review Best Actor - Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Actor - British Independent Film Awards Best Actor - Uruguyan Film Critics Association Best Actor - Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Actor - Chicago Film Critics Association Best Actor - Florida Film Critics Circle Best Actor - San Diego Film Critics Society Best Actor - Toronto Film Critics Association Best Actor - Online Film Critics Society Best Actor - Online Motion Picture Academy Best Actor - International Film Festival San Sebastian Best Actor - Film in Noir, Italy Best Actor - The Saturn Award Best Actor - The Chlotrudis Award Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - Screen Actors Guild Nomination as Best Actor - Drama - The Golden Globe® Award Nomination as Best Actor - The Academy Award® (Oscar®) |
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| 1999 | Barclay's Theatre Award - Best Supporting Performance (The Seagull) | |
| 2002 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting
Role - Screen Actors Guild Nomination as Best Supporting Actor - The Academy Award® (Oscar®) |
Honours and Appointments: |
| 1960/61 | President of the Marlowe Society, Cambridge | |
| 1971/72 | Council of British Actors' Equity | |
| 1979 | Commander of the British Empire | |
| 1989 | Hon. DLitt Nottingham | |
| 1989 | Founder Member of Stonewall Group UK | |
| 1989 | Chair of Iris Trust | |
| 1991 | Knight of the British Empire University of Oxford, Cameron Mackintosh Professor of Contemporary Theatre |
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| 1993 | Hon. DLitt Aberdeen | |
| 1994 | Royal National Institute for the Deaf: Communicator of the Year Award | |
| 1994 | Patron of English Touring Theatre | |
| 1996-98 | Member of Equity Appeals Committee | |
| 1997 | Board of the Royal National Theatre | |
| 1998 | Lifetime Achievement Award (Los Angeles Outfest) | |
| 1999 | Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | |
| 2000 | Patron, Manchester Lesbian and Gay Switchboard |
