The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Ian McKellen (Extended) | File It Away
Date: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Stephen Colbert welcomes legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen for a detailed, often humorous conversation spanning McKellen’s career, theater’s magic, behind-the-scenes tales from iconic films, his return as Gandalf, his role in pioneering “mixed reality” theater, reflections on acting, Shakespeare, and the enduring impact of live performance. The discussion is lively, personal, and frequently punctuated with warmth and wit from both Colbert and McKellen.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lord of the Rings 25th Anniversary & Gandalf Memories

[14:03]

• Colbert congratulates McKellen and mentions the Lord of the Rings 25th anniversary cover with the original cast.
• They joke about the Elvish “9” tattoos all cast members got, with McKellen quipping:

  “Upside down, which is the way I read it, it spells Gucci.”
  (Ian McKellen, 14:46)

• McKellen sheepishly admits he hadn’t read the books before being offered the role and shares a story about his first dinner with the cast and Peter Jackson, adding:

  “Christopher Lee turned to me during the soup with a dreadful, piercing look... and said to me, ‘I read Lord of the Rings every year. And... I've always thought I should play Gandalf.’”
  (Ian McKellen, 16:10)

2. Behind the Scenes of Filming

[16:45]

• Describes filming his very first day as Gandalf, then immediately shooting Gandalf the White’s final scene the next, and feeling lost:

  “If you look back at that particular shot, you'll see there is absolutely nothing happening on my face at all. I thought that was the safest thing to do. Do nothing.”
  (Ian McKellen, 17:47)

• Colbert and McKellen laugh about on-set “easter eggs” like Gandalf’s watch inadvertently appearing and McKellen admits to carrying the full works of Tolkien in his robe pocket.

3. Returning as Gandalf in "The Hunt for Gollum" & Working with Andy Serkis

[18:11]

• McKellen shares excitement about reprising Gandalf, with filming for Andy Serkis’s new LOTR film set for July in New Zealand. He hopes for more indoor scenes given New Zealand’s winter:

  "I'm not sure that I want to be out there in the wind and the rain. But we'll be indoors probably most of the time."
  (Ian McKellen, 18:17)

4. On Acting, Directors & Learning Lines

[19:13] – [20:24]

• Colbert inquires what McKellen seeks in a director. McKellen humorously laments:

  “Please, will you teach me how to act in front of the camera? And none of them has ever done that, so if you’re willing to... you’re on.”
  (Ian McKellen, 19:27)

• Colbert offers tongue-in-cheek advice:

  “Talk loud and fast and worry about the art later. ...The shortest distance between two points is: learn your lines.”
  (Stephen Colbert, 19:50)

• McKellen admits line learning gets tougher with age:

  “Now I do every play once every two years. It does get more difficult.”
  (Ian McKellen, 20:12)

5. Back as Magneto & Destroying New Jersey

[20:44]

• On returning as Magneto in “Doomsday”:

  “In this one, I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that Magneto destroys New Jersey.”
  (Ian McKellen, 20:54)

• He describes a scene where the director encourages him to look and shout more furiously. McKellen improvises:

  “...shout the worst thing you could possibly think of. So I said, malago!”
  (Ian McKellen, 21:40)

6. McKellen’s Broadway Debut & First Impressions of New York

[22:13]

• Reminisces about arriving in Times Square in the 1960s, encountering memorable chaos:

  “There was a guy standing by the statue [of George M. Cohan], urinating on it. And I thought, my God, these critics, they get everywhere, don’t they.”
  (Ian McKellen, 22:54)

• Talks about the wildness of old New York and its transformation over time.

7. "Anarch": Mixed Reality Theater

[23:43]

• Explains the concept:

  “You put on a pair of glasses... and in front of you are four chairs that weren’t there when you didn’t have them on. ...These four characters talk directly to you. And you would swear they were real people...but you can’t [touch them], because they’re not there.”
  (Ian McKellen, 24:08)

• Emphasizes the “direct communication” with the audience despite the virtual format, calling the experience extraordinary:

  “I don’t know whether it’s the future, but it’s certainly not the past.”
  (Ian McKellen, 25:04)

8. Reflections on Live Theater & Acting

[25:20]

• McKellen says every new role might be his last and cherishes the connection of live theater:

  “There is a collective happening: I speak, you listen, you laugh, you cry, you’re moved, you’re stimulated in some way... and if it works, you never forget it.”
  (Ian McKellen, 25:45)

• Shares memories of his first stage experiences, from Peter Pan as a boy to amateur Shakespeare in the north of England:

  “I was only three years old, but I clapped away and I’ve been clapping ever since.”
  (Ian McKellen, 27:36)

• Discusses the unique thrill of backstage versus the stage:

  “It was a thrill just standing there in the wings, knowing that here, there was a show going on... Where is that line?”
  (Ian McKellen, 28:34)

9. Colbert on the Magic and Community of Theater

[30:09]

• Colbert reminisces about his own love for simply being present in a theater, advising young performers:

  “There’s a place for you in show business, but it may not be where you think it is. ...The goal was to stay in that building. Theater needs everything and show business needs everything that humans do.”
  (Stephen Colbert, 30:09-31:00)

• McKellen echoes:

  “Everyone’s in the show and it is happening now.”
  (Ian McKellen, 31:05)

10. AI, Live Performance, and Human Connection

[31:24]

• Both discuss their faith that live art will have renewed value in the era of AI-generated entertainment:

  “I think there’s going to be a little bit of a spring back to wanting to go see something live, so that you know, that’s a real human saying real human words to another human.”
  (Stephen Colbert, 31:24)

11. McKellen’s Advice for Young Actors & audiences

[31:48]

• Shares an anecdote about teaching young performers in Chicago, using lyrics from “Some Enchanted Evening” to stress the importance of being present and attentive in life and theater:

  “Not if you’re on your phone, you won’t.”
  (Ian McKellen, 32:54)

12. Premiering a Shakespeare Role & Reciting a Lost Monologue

[33:34]

• Colbert highlights that McKellen is among the few living actors to have "originated" a role in Shakespeare—Sir Thomas More—in 1964, reciting a humanitarian, anti-xenophobic speech handwritten by Shakespeare himself.
• McKellen delivers the speech passionately ([35:03-39:05]), emphasizing the humanity and relevance of Shakespeare’s words on immigration and tolerance, explaining its historical context.

Notable Quote from the speech ([38:20]):

“Imagine that you see the wretched strangers, their babies at their backs, with their poor luggage plodding to the ports and coasts for transportation, and that you sit as kings in your desires... What would you think to be thus used? This is the strangers’ case. And this your mountainous inhumanity.”
(Sir Ian McKellen, reciting Shakespeare, 38:20)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the Elvish Tattoo:

  “Upside down, it spells Gucci.” (Ian McKellen, 14:46)

• On old New York critics:

  “These critics, they get everywhere, don’t they.” (Ian McKellen, 22:54)

• On acting and theater:

  “There is a collective happening...and if it works, you never forget it.” (Ian McKellen, 25:45)

• On the line between backstage and stage:

  “It was a thrill just standing there in the wings... Where is that line?” (Ian McKellen, 28:34)

• Colbert’s advice to young artists:

  “There’s a place for you in show business, but it may not be where you think it is.” (Stephen Colbert, 30:09)

• On the value of live performance:

  “This is not recorded for you. No. This is it.” (Ian McKellen, 31:11)

• Shakespeare’s wisdom on immigration and empathy:

  “Would you be pleased to find a nation of such barbarous temper... What would you think to be thus used? This is the strangers’ case... And this your mountainous inhumanity.” (Sir Ian McKellen, reciting Shakespeare, 38:20)

Timestamps: Important Segments

• 13:28 — Ian McKellen joins the show
• 14:03-15:05 — LOTR memories and cast camaraderie
• 16:57-17:50 — Filming first and last LOTR scenes
• 18:11-18:37 — Discussing reprising Gandalf & filming plans
• 19:13-20:24 — Directors, learning lines, acting advice
• 20:44-21:59 — Magneto’s new film and villain antics
• 22:13-23:13 — Broadway debut and NYC reminiscence
• 23:43-25:10 — Mixed reality theater (“Anarch”) explained
• 25:20-28:44 — Reflections on acting and theater
• 30:09-31:24 — The role of community and belonging in theater
• 33:34-39:05 — Premiering a Shakespeare role and reciting the "strangers' case" monologue

Conclusion

This episode stands out for its honest, funny, and deeply human exchange between two lovers of the stage. Sir Ian McKellen offers both a masterclass in acting and a moving reminder of the communal magic of live theater, while Stephen Colbert provides thoughtful prompts and shares his own reverence for the craft. Their conversation is not just a journey through McKellen’s legacy, but a powerful antidote to cynicism—reaffirming art’s power to illuminate and bind us together.