Sir Ian passes on tips to younger generation
9:30am Saturday 11th September 2010 in Your Town
HE is one of the world’s most renowned actors, but when Sir Ian McKellen was invited to talk to drama students at Bolton School Boys’ Division he jumped at the chance.
The Lord of the Rings star returned to his former school to open the newly refurbished drama studio, which has been named the McKellen Studio in his honour.
He said: “I think it is great a school with a liberal arts tradition like this one should still consider acting and drama as having as much merit as any other subject.
“It’s a very important part of the school.”
Sir Ian visited the school with his actor pal Antony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully in Coronation Street.
The 71-year-old was nominated for two Oscars for his role as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, but revealed to students at Bolton School that he never expected to become a professional actor.
“I did my first Shakespeare at Bolton School in the little theatre across the road called Hopefield, and then I went on to Bolton Little Theatre,” he said. “I enjoyed it, but I thought when I went to University I would simply become an amateur enthusiast — it never crossed my mind to become professional.”
English teacher Amy Liptrott took the opportunity of a school trip to London to watch Waiting For Godot, starring Sir Ian as Estragon, to approach the star and invite him to visit.
Not only did the actor agree to open the studio, he also took part in an acting workshop with the boys, answered questions and passed on some tips about his craft.
“You can’t act unless you are totally relaxed, and by that I mean you haven’t a care in the world,” he said.
“Of course you can’t be relaxed at an audition and so that’s probably when you do your worst acting.”
He also confessed when he started acting on film he would feel embarrassed by the scrutiny of the crew behind the camera.
“They would be watching so intently — it took me years to realise they were there to help,” he said. And in typically modest style he signed off by telling the boys: “I don’t know anything about acting, really. I just do it — there’s nothing clever about it.”
Actor set to return
