This is such a great story. A 22-year-old guy named Ben Coyles was out with his mates celebrating his birthday. They went on a pub crawl with Ben dressed as Gandalf the Grey from JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings books. In case you’ve been living under a rock, they’ve made a couple of movies based on those books. The legend who portrayed Gandalf in the films, Sir Ian McKellan, was walking home after finishing his show in the area, when he saw young Ben and his band of merry folk crawling to their next pub and decided to join festivities. Approaching the group, Sir Ian asked if their Gandalf wanted to meet the Real Gandalf. Uhm, what’s elvish for yes please!
A man dressed as Gandalf on a Bristol pub crawl was “flabbergasted” to bump into Sir Ian McKellen himself. Tolkien super-fan Ben Coyles was out marking his 22nd birthday last week when he ran into the actor, who played Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
Ben was with a group of friends when they turned onto Corn Street and saw Sir Ian, who has been in Bristol starring in the Mother Goose pantomime at the Hippodrome. In disbelief, Ben managed to get a picture with his hero.
Student Felix Spencer, 21, who filmed the moment, said: “We had no idea he would be there. We were on our penultimate pub when someone comes up to me and asks me if we would like our Gandalf to meet the real Gandalf.
“Me and all my mates were walking down the street and I heard behind me ‘do you want to meet the real Gandalf?’ I didn’t recognise him immediately then I was like ‘OH MY GOD IT’S SIR IAN MCKELLEN!’
“Everybody said ‘what on earth is going on?!’ He asked me how old I was and said happy birthday and shook my hand.
“I was flabbergasted, I had no idea what to do or say. We had zero idea that he was walking down that street.
“If I was 10-20 metres ahead of him it wouldn’t have happened, the planets aligned. He’s a really lovely sound bloke, an excellent guy, nice, down to earth and humble and I’d like to buy him a drink.”
[From Bristol Post via DListed]
This is the dream, isn’t it? Every attendee at Comic-Con in costume or film buff standing in line, decked out in their homemade declaration of love to their idol – isn’t it just a beacon for that person to show up out of the blue? I mean, I assume that’s what Ben was going for. I don’t really know why a 22-year-old man was on a pub crawl dressed as Gandalf. Maybe he cycles through the Tolkien compendium of characters for all his crawls. Needless to say, I have questions but they don’t matter because the cool part is, he was in costume as Gandalf and he was in the road at the moment Sir Ian walked up behind him – on his birthday. I’m so happy for Ben, I won’t even get mad about the number of times I’ve gone running with my Wonder Woman shirt on and nothing!
I think my favorite part, though, is Sir Ian asking if Ben wants to meet “the real Gandalf.” There is no line anymore, he’s erased it. Other people play parts, Sir Ian becomes them. Deal with it.
Ah! We have the video (thanks DListed!) Look at Ben – he wants everyone to see he’s standing next to The Real Gandalf™
@.scarletlearmonth SIR * Ian McKellen #bristol #birthdaygandalf #ianmckellen #sirianmckellen #gandalf ♬ Originalton – Suneysounds
Photo credit: Felix Spen/SWNS, New Line Cinema Supplied by BWP Media, Ferrari – Look/Look Press and via Instagram
Oh my good I love this!
Theatre people are the best!! Second to LOTR nerds.
I wish I lived in England so might casually run in to Ian and Patrick on a foggy street on an evening stroll!
Wow! This is so sweet and lovely! It’s really made my day❤️
This is a great story. He seems like such a nice man (and obviously incredibly talented.) He’s so amazing as Gandalf. I would have DIED if this had happened to me lol.
@ Becks1, I too would have died!!! What a beautiful story and I loved every second of it!! Sir Ian is such a wonderful man and him approaching this group is a testament of his beautiful soul. My heart grew bigger and stronger for him!! 💗💗
How Ben was able to mutter any words astounds me as I don’t think that I would have been able to speak in his presence.
“I don’t really know why a 22-year-old man was on a pub crawl dressed as Gandalf.” – a British person would never ask this question, lol. :-p
Fair point.
😀
It would be weird if they weren’t dressed up!
It’s funny, 22 year old guys often cosplay* their favorite sports stars on pub crawls, on their birthdays, at parks, at cook outs, etc and no one notices or ever comments. It’s always interesting to me that some kinds of fandom are accepted as “normal”. (No knock on the person asking that question; more just an observation about certain societies where heteronormative-sports-bro-dude is often treated like the default setting and everything else is not)
* I mean, that’s what they are doing when they are wearing a team jersey just like what their fave wears on the field/court, with the guy’s name on it and everything, right?
Omg I love this take, that wearing a sports jersey is cosplaying! You’re right, it IS!!!!
This is wholesome! I love that you can see the shock on his face in that TikTok. How exciting for him and his friends, they will be telling this story forever lol.
I live in Bristol and saw this on our local news, I’m glad it’s blowing up as we need more lovely stories like this.
My favourite part is the role reversal of the celebrity approaching the other guy. Ian is the best.
“My favourite part is the role reversal of the celebrity approaching the other guy”
I was surprised as well!! 🤩
You know, there’s always so many sad stories to be told, and when you get to start your day with something so cheery and sweet… it’s just such an unexpected surprise.
Sir Ian is a legend, a treasure, all of it!
I love the guys shocked face! I hope he had an Epic Birthday.
Can’t say I’d be any more composed or even able to even speak if I had Sir Ian McKellan ask if I’d like to meet him.
Such a kind thing for him to do!
This is epic.
I would be dead!
This is wonderful and made my morning. More stories/posts like this one, please!
Story of the year! I love this. Sir Ian deserves all the love for doing this.
I feel like Ian McKellen being good friends with Bryan Singer and other pedophiles doesn’t get mentioned enough.
Oh, and he was known to attend those pool “parties” where underaged boys were assaulted.
https://imgur.io/PTiJ7kl?r
This rumor doesn’t get traction because it’s not true. Ian worked on Singer’s films, period.
‘Bryan Singer directed the 1998 movie Apt Pupil, in which Ian McKellen plays a fugitive Nazi war criminal who is blackmailed by a local high school student. He also directed X-Men, X2, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, in which McKellen played the iconic role of Magneto. McKellen is sometimes rumored to have attended Singer’s parties, but there is – as far as I and Google can tell – no indication he actually went to them. In 2006, McKellen is quoted saying he’d never been to one of Singer’s parties. ‘
There’s more about why Ian didn’t attend his parties but it kind of needs no explanation, it’s silly.
Of course no one wants to admit they attended Bryan Singer’s parties now.
In the picture I posted, Ian is not only with Singer but also Gary Goddard, another pedophile and a younger man.
He also gave excuses for Singer and Kevin Spacey when stuff came out about them. He walked it back after getting backlash.
Of course, no one wants to admit they peddle fake stories & drag people’s names through the mud for their own story/ego.
There is a picture of him with people he WORKED WITH. Period. There is absolutely no evidence that he attended one of Singer’s parties, and he’s never been one to go to college style pool keggers (eye roll here).
He said something about the idea that if this society was safe for individuals, and they didn’t have to live closeted, then maybe they wouldn’t act out in unhealthy ways. He apologized for that statement.
“It’s easier to fool a man, than convince a man he’s been fooled” but nice try pushing this weird agenda that every single man who is a liberal must also be a pedophile (newsflash- they are everywhere & go where they can easily hide their crimes).
I loved this story so much. I am glad you covered it CB. We need more stories like this.
Mallory, I agree with you. I see a lot of quick judgements posted over here. I guess it is easier to cancel and hate than to learn and improve.
Ian should have never backtracked on the comments he made. It is true for those who are repressed or closeted many do act out in unhealthy ways and do horrible things. I have seen it so many times in people that I love. To make statements like that come from a place of heartache and experience. It doesn’t come from a place of malice or excuses.
If I ever became a celebrity, this is the kind of celebrity I would want to be… just making people’s days. Forget the Kardashian drama… give me nerds and cosplay and wholesome joy.
😻
This makes my heart explode lol.
Such a perfect thing!
thank you! made my day. Gandalf is Legend. That is all.
Sir Ian is a gem.
The whole story is cool but the video is extra adorable. Ben was so stunned he couldn’t close his mouth!
This is wonderfully wholesome.
Side-eyeing the publication though. Was it really necessary to list the city, street, and approximate dates/times Sir Ian will be walking home?
Yeah, this is fun.
I like fun.
Great job, Ian, and happy belated birthday, Ben. This was a really lovely story.
What a great thing! The stars really did align. I want to see 10 more lovely stories like this each week. God, how we need to smile and be nice to each other. Sir Ian is a love!
My nerdy soul loves this so much! I am so impressed that Ian McKellan approached a fan dressed like Gandalf, just to make his entire life. Well done, everyone deserves a moment like this!
Me too!
I was just about to say the exact same thing lol