Sir Ian McKellen is a legendary Tony Award-winning, and Oscar-nominated actor who has delivered incredible work in the theater and a wide array of TV series and films including big blockbuster titles from The Lord of the Rings and X-men film franchises. Contrary to what people might gather from the title of his latest film, The Critic, is about a critic, but may not be what you think it is.
“This isn’t my revenge on the critics,” McKellen told GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos in a recent interview. “The critics have treated me very kindly over the years… very too kindly at times.”
McKellen recently had an accident in June where he fractured his wrist and neck during his performance in Player Kings, a production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts One and Two, in London’s West End. “I was playing Falstaff, a wonderful part in Shakespeare,” said McKellen. “I lost my footing, got my foot caught in in something that was on the stage. I couldn’t shake it off and then trying to shake it off I slid, on the polished surface of the stage and then into the front row of the audience. I shouted, ‘Help me!'”
Luckily, McKellen is recovering well as he promotes The Critic which initially had its debut at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and is set to premiere in theaters on September 13.
Directed by Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie, Shopgirl) and adapted by Patrick Marber (Closer, Notes on a Scandal) from the 2015 novel Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn. Set in 1934 London, McKellen plays Jimmy Erskine, a mighty — and feared theatre critic of the age. He lives as flamboyantly as he takes joy in taking down any actor who fails to meet his standards. When the owner of the Daily Chronicle newspaper dies, and his son David Brooke (Mark Strong) takes over, Jimmy is at odds with his new boss. With his job on the line, finds Jimmy befriends struggling actress Nina Land (Gemma Arterton) as they hatch a plan to get everything back to the status quo.
McKellen said that he connected with the character of Jimmy Erskine. “Well, we’re all critics, aren’t we?” he asked. “[Jimmy] had been an actor in his time and it was a great disappointment to him… he wasn’t a very good actor so I could sympathize with that that side of his nature.”
The character of Jimmy is gay and McKellen talked about how that may have impacted the characters’ standards for theater. He said that “the cruelty and the misunderstanding” might have come from the way Jimmy was treated at a time when being gay was illegal. “If you’re cruel to people long enough, don’t be surprised if they turn out to be a bully themselves,” McKellen pointed out. “I was able to hang on to that as a point of reference. “
As a prominent LGBTQ actor who has essentially reached icon status, McKellen shared that when he came out, is when he started to become a staunch advocate of LGBTQ rights. And although he is a queer artist, the sexuality of Jimmy wasn’t the draw for McKellen. “It’s not of special interest to me that Jimmy is gay, he said. “It’s easy for me to relate to things that he’s having to deal with which, thank God we don’t have to deal with anymore.”
When it comes to future roles, McKellen expressed interest in playing Antonio from The Merchant of Venice. “He is Shakespeare’s gayest character,” he said. “[Shakespeare] also had a character called Antonio in Twelfth Night and he declares his love for another man very clearly.”
He thinks there is a production of The Merchant of Venice waiting for him. And he also encourages other gay actors to take on the role. “If there’s a gay actor around who’s wondering what he might do in Shakespeare? Antonio have a look at Antonio,” advised McKellen.
The Critic opens in theaters on September 13.