--- ---  # Here's Proof That Ian McKellen Is Basically Focusing on Being Gandalf in Real Life ## Video: 10 Questions for Sir Ian McKellen [Watch (HLS stream): 10 Questions for Sir Ian McKellen](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cc4j5llo.m3u8) (6:41)  _Published 2012-12-12. The screen and stage actor discusses Gandolf, The Vatican and more_  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Jan 26, 2017 7:23 PM UTC  Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingNew Line/WireImage  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Jan 26, 2017 7:23 PM UTC After starring as [Gandalf](http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1910417%5F1910419%5F1910461,00.html) in the Middle-earth movies over the course of more than a decade, [Ian McKellen](http://time.com/4087650/tolkien-annotated-middle-earth-map-discovered/) is clearly still in tune with the beloved wizard. During a recent [_Empire_ interview](http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/lord-rings-fellowship-interview/) with former co-star Elijah Wood — who played Frodo Baggins in [_The Lord of the Rings_](http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2047540,00.html)trilogy — the 77-year-old actor reminisced about bringing the J.R.R. Tolkien epic to life, revealing that he has some iconic souvenirs from his time on the New Zealand set. “Eternal gratitude for being included in one of the great film adventures of all time,” he told Wood when asked what he has stashed away. “I keep \[Gandalf’s sword\] Glamdring in my hatstand and the pointy hat in the basement, often worn by visiting youngsters. Gandalf’s staff is behind the bar in my Thames-side pub The Grapes, in East London. Don’t tell \[director\] Peter \[Jackson\], but the keys to Bag End are hanging up at home.” McKellen also spoke about his favorite part of working on _The Hobbit_ trilogy — getting back to Gandalf’s roots. “I was glad to be rid of that old stick Gandalf the White,” he said. “The Grey was always my favourite.” The chat was part of an interview series in which each of the nine members of the Fellowship asked another member nine questions in honor of the [15th anniversary](http://time.com/4591437/lord-of-the-rings-behind-the-scenes-photos/) of _The Fellowship of the Ring_ premiere. Read more at [EmpireOnline.com](http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/lord-rings-fellowship-interview/). Ian McKellen Lord of the Rings Interview on Gandalf 2017 ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4650389/ian-mckellen-gandalf-lord-of-the-rings-memories/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4650389/ian-mckellen-gandalf-lord-of-the-rings-memories/"},"headline":"Here's Proof That Ian McKellen Is Basically Focusing on Being Gandalf in Real Life","datePublished":"2017-01-26T19:23:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:40:29.942Z","description":"He's holding onto the pointy hat","url":"https://time.com/4650389/ian-mckellen-gandalf-lord-of-the-rings-memories/","keywords":["movies","Newsfeed","Lord of the Rings"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f22663f1ab93d51/6988b7685f570f3c3eb23e10/gandalf.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan McCluskey","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f22663f1ab93d51/6988b7685f570f3c3eb23e10/gandalf.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Why 'The Lord of the Rings' Movie Trilogy Is Perfect Holiday Viewing","caption":"Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring","creditText":"New Line/WireImage","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4650389/ian-mckellen-gandalf-lord-of-the-rings-memories/","name":"Here's Proof That Ian McKellen Is Basically Focusing on Being Gandalf in Real Life"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"10 Questions for Sir Ian McKellen","description":"The screen and stage actor discusses Gandolf, The Vatican and more","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/cc4j5llo/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2012-12-12T21:26:45.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cc4j5llo.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4650389/ian-mckellen-gandalf-lord-of-the-rings-memories/","duration":"PT6M41S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4650389/ian-mckellen-gandalf-lord-of-the-rings-memories/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```