Why Sir Ian McKellen And Sir Patrick Stewart Rule The Internet

What's better than one classically-trained actor, also noted for his later life geek-friendly roles, who enjoys posting odd pictures online? Why, two such actors, of course, so thank goodness for Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen, who can be relied upon to brighten up the internet on a regular basis. And now they've finished their long run on Broadway, and X-Men: Days Of Future Past is just around the corner, we thought we'd gather their best online moments in one handy spot.

For something similar in honour of Bill Murray, click this way...

If you have ventured onto the internet in the last year, you’ll know that Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, two knights of the realm noted for their serious dramatic heft, have become a fixture of New York. While performing Waiting For Godot and No Man’s Land every evening (hence their frequently-used #TwoPlaysInRep hashtag), they made the most of their time in the Big Apple to take a series of joyous holiday snaps, as posted onto their Twitter profiles – bowler hats at the ready…

1) On a ferris wheel:

2) Meeting Elmo:

3) Teaching the Americans the true meaning of football:

4) Enjoying the finest of ales:

5) Meeting Father Christmas (or “Santa”):

6) Taking in the sights:

7) Having a banger. (And some corn):

8) Meeting Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy:

9) Phoning home:

10) Posing in front of a cheeky bullock:

11) Getting into tramp-like character for Godot in front of a pile of rubbish:

12) Giving thanks for Thanksgiving:

13) Getting into the Christmas spirit:

14) And, to herald in 2014 (and Patrick Stewart’s new Instagram account), the most glorious rendition of Auld Lang Syne:

The two knights are big-hearted people, and there is an abundance of romantic examples of their exploits to be found…

15) When Charles Xavier got married last year, there was really only one mutant who could officiate: Magneto. He was also a very useful person to have around in case the rings got lost:

16) At a convention, one Star Trek fan made the most of Sir Pat Stew’s presence to ensure his proposal to his girlfriend had the full authority of Jean Luc Picard:

17) One of Patrick Stewart’s greatest moments was his appearance in Frasier, where the titular radio psychiatrist can’t admit to himself that this handsome bald man may want more than just friendship…

18) This one’s slightly less obvious. Patrick Stewart and James Corden had a very awkward public bickering at an awards ceremony{ =nofollow}. It’s extremely uncomfortable, but thankfully, it all worked out between the two:

A staple of any respectable actor is the double-take, but that’s not the only possibility. With many decades of practice on stage and on screen and with the benefit of classical training, it’s possible to ascend to the heights of a quadruple-take. P Stew demonstrates to his wife, Sunny Ozell:

19) Sir Ian is also a fountain of acting wisdom, and in Extras, he gave the clearest breakdown of exactly how he embodies Gandalf:

20) He may be a respected veteran of the Shakespearean stage, but it was not until he trod the boards at Sesame Street that Patrick Stewart gave the monologue he’d been preparing for his whole life: “B, or not a B. That is the question.”

21) Long before he was hidden by enormous beards and a big shiny helmet (steady), Sir Ian made his first screen appearance back in 1964. He plays a stiff-upper-lipped colonial soldier very proud of having shot a tiger in The Indian Stories Of Rudyard Kipling:

22) Sir Patrick’s played some famous parts, but one of his most prolific performances is an entirely unseen one, playing the CIA chief in American Dad. In fact, it’s one of his favourite roles…

23) One of the stories Sir Ian is fondest of telling is exactly what went down when filming the Bridge of Khazad Dum…

24. You may not have realised it, but cows have regional accents when they moo. Sir Patrick explains all, with some extremely convincing impressions:

25) Undoubtedly the most convincing performance Sir Patrick’s ever given was last Halloween, when he embodied a lobster in his bathtub with grinning aplomb (with help from his wife):

As Sir Ian’s Twitter bio (“actor and activist”) suggests, performance isn’t the only thing he’s good at. The same goes for Sir Patrick, who campaigns for charities such as Amnesty International proudly. They’re also (as their Twitter use suggests) thoroughly tech-savvy and good cooks to boot.

26) Back in 1995, Sir Ian met Nelson Mandela to campaign for the South African constitution to explicitly prevent discrimination on the basis of sexuality:

The final photo is a lovely bookend to the meeting, and the campaign was successful:

27) In a particularly honest and moving Q&A, Patrick Stewart speaks out against domestic abuse, and comforts an audience member:

28) According to Sir Patrick, Sir Ian makes a mean risotto:

29) Ian McKellen is very proud of having (apparently) been one of the first ever bloggers in Hollywood, and you can find his very first entry (“Thoughts prior to the beginning of filming X-MEN”) by clicking the picture below:

It recounts some of the scheduling dramas between X-Men and The Lord Of The Rings, and gives a nice glimpse into Sir Ian’s reason for playing a mutant: “I certainly like Magneto’s awareness of his body. Maybe I’m doing this movie in praise of sexy 60 year olds.”

The two sirs aren’t liable to take themselves too seriously, and have proved their comedy chops repeatedly over the years. They’ve both done the SNL monologue, online skits, and even the odd song and dance…

30) Sir Patrick famously appeared in Extras, where he saw everything. Though having seen the final result, he wasn’t too happy:

31) Sir Ian isn’t averse to showing the odd bit of skin, and it was a lucky audience who got a glimpse of his very special pants last year.

32) No matter the time of year, Jean Luc Picard can always help you get in the Christmas spirit with the Enterprise’s rendition of Let It Snow, “Make It So”:

33) However, Sir Patrick doesn’t need fancy editing to sing his heart out – this clip proves he makes a glorious song and dance man, complete with hat and cane:

34) Making the most of his great big bushy beard, Sir Ian got mistaken for a tramp in Melbourne, and took the chance to gather up some change:

35) In 2012, Sir Patrick starred in an utterly bizarre Olympic-themed sketch on Funny Or Die{ =nofollow}, playing a cockney ticket touter. He’s joined by Simon Pegg, Ryan Lochte and Maisie Williams:

36) Individually, the two Sirs have each had the uniquely American honour of hosting Saturday Night Live, and each gave the requisite monologue to an adoring audience:

37) Disappointing viewing for anyone hoping they might be secret soul-mates, here the two sirs get tripped up when playing the Newlyweds game.

38) As a Star Trek veteran, it’s not too surprising that Sir Patrick has an action figure to play with. Unfortunately, it’s slightly outshone by Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gonn.

39) If you’ve ever wanted to see Sir Ian McKellen playing with himself, today’s your lucky day:

40) The two knights were glamorous, handsome young men in years gone by, and let us never forget it.

(Via)

(Via)

41) When talking to Empire about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Sir Ian McKellen provided a steady, reliable naming of all the dwarves:

42) The pair do their best impersonations of each other. They aren’t that good, but are adorable:

43) The twosome interview each other, and reveal their first meeting… Watch out also for Sir Ian’s glorious and very cosy-looking Ugg boots:

44) Patrick Stewart is keen to remind the world that he is NOT AMERICAN, with a little help from Stephen Merchant.

**45) **Finally, Patrick Stewart might have a new project for us all to look foward to.