"Lord of the Rings", Gandalf the White: actor, voice

In all the most famous fairy tales one must meet some kind and wise old man or wizard, to whom one can always turn for advice and help. It is he who, in a difficult moment, saves the main characters from misfortune and punishes evil. In the magical world of Middle-earth, created by the fantasy of writer R. R. Tolkien, this character was a magician Gandalf.

Inhabitants of a fairy-tale world

The fairy-tale world, composed by Tolkien, according to the author himself, was once upon a long time on our planet.

But over time, the magic disappeared from our world. Many species of creatures have died out and the most enduring and prolific race is people.

In ancient times, the central continent was called Middle-earth, and the famous habitat of the Hobbits - Shir - was in the region of modern north-western Europe.

At that time, the human race was not the main race , but was one of the many species of creatures inhabiting Middle-earth. The first inhabitants of these lands were the higher beings - the elves. They were almost immortal. Moreover, this race was stronger, wiser and nobler than humans. Also among the elves were skillful masters who create beautiful things. Unlike humans, elves could use magic, although they were not magicians.

After the elves, goblins and orcs appeared. In fact, they were mutated, as a result of dangerous experiments, elves. Later, Sauron, based on the orcs, created a special people, the Uruk-hai. Unlike their ancestors, all these creatures were not wise and kind, they constantly fought for new territories and food. In these beings only the lowest instincts dominated.

Even later, the people of the gnomes were created. They were extremely strong, but of small stature and all with beards, even women. This ethnos was famous for its ability to extract minerals from the depths of the mountains, as well as the production of outlandish beauty from these fossils. Even the gnomes were famous for their incredible greed, which very often played a cruel joke with them.

In contrast to the gnomes, the Ent was created. They are giant trees. Unlike other nations, they are extremely peaceful and kind. The ardent defenders of nature, as they are a part of it.

The trolls arose after the ents. They were created for a variety of stone.

People, like their species, the small people of the Hobbits, appeared in Middle-earth the latest. Unlike other creatures, they were weak and not adapted to magic.

There were also a lot of other magical creatures, like dragons, gigantic talking eagles, spiders, werewolves, demonic creatures with the ability to envelop themselves with fire and darkness, and others.

In the time of Sauron, the first nine people-owners of the Rings of Power were conquered by their will and turned into living dead under the name of the Nazgul.

Mages, or Istaris, stood apart from all these creatures. They came to this world to protect him from awakening evil forces. These wizards were united in the Order of the Magi. In total, five mages were sent: Saruman White, Alatar Blue, Pallando Blue, Radagastus Brown and Gandalf the Gray.

Origin and names of Gandalf

The real name of Gandalf is Olorin. In his people he was considered one of the most wise and kind magicians. Being one of the five sent to Middle-earth, this hero at first did not want to go on a trip, but later changed his mind.

Like his other brethren, upon arrival in the new world, he assumed the appearance of a wandering old man with a staff. He was also given one of the three elven Rings of Power - Narya.

Unlike the head of the Order of Saruman, Gandalf the Gray never had a residence. He constantly traveled through the expanse of Middle-earth. Helping people as far as possible, in different tribes, he deserved different names: Gray Wanderer, Mithrandir, Inkanus and Tarkun.

Before the beginning of the War of the Ring, this wizard was called "Gray", and the title "White" was worn by the head of the Order. However, after the betrayal of Saruman, Gandalf personally drove him out of the order and broke the main attribute of the wizard - the staff. For his courage and self-sacrifice, Olorin was elected head of the Order, and became known as the "White".

If you look at the illustration from the movie, which depicts Gandalf the Gray and White, the difference is even externally very noticeable.

History of character creation

The name Gandalf stands for "elf with a magic staff". Initially, he was to be carried by the leader of the gnome squad, but Tolkien decided that such a solid name required a better candidate, and called them a wizard from the book "The Hobbit." The appearance of the wandering magician was borrowed from a postcard, which was called "Mountain spirit". In many ways, the appearance of Gandalf was inspired by Tolkien Scandinavian supreme deity Odin. When he recovered to travel in the human world, he assumed the appearance of a modest old man with a long shaggy beard, a broad-brimmed hat and a strange staff.

Some researchers of the writer's work by the prototype of Gandalf are called Merlin.

The first appearance of Gandalf in the "Hobbit"

For the first time this character appears in the novel by R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit, or There and Back." According to the plot, a detachment of thirteen gnomes under the direction of their King Thorin Dubostchita is going to reach the Lonely Mountain. Once it belonged to their ancestors, now they intend to return it, and also defeat the dragon Smaug, who took possession of it, and take away the treasure.

However, to implement this complex plan they need a cracker. Gandalf, as one of the organizers and inspirers of the undertaking, advised the hobbit-householder named Bilbo Baggins to this post. He agreed and, after experiencing a lot of adventures and losses, the dwarves were able to destroy the enemy and achieve his. Bilbo in this story became the owner of the magical artifact - the Rings of Power, but hid it from everyone, even from Gandalf, with whom he became friends.

Despite the fact that Gandalf seems only an ordinary participant in this adventure, in fact, it was he who made the whole mess. The fact is that at the time of the beginning of the novel "The Hobbit" Sauron secretly returned to the magical world and began to gain strength, in addition, his Nazgul began to desperately hunt for the Ring of Omnipotence. However, the Order, headed by Saruman Bely, was inactive at his insistence.

Because of the dragon, the northern lands of the continent were extremely weak. Think Sauron to unite with Smaug and attack them - they would become easy prey.

Finding the dying father of the king of gnomes Thorin, Gandalf received from him a map and a key. This prompted the wizard to think how, with the help of gnomes lime dragon and free the northern land from the orcs. And along the way, and return to the dwarves their ancestral possessions. Despite many troubles, the plan of the magician was a success.

"Lord of the Rings": Gandalf in the "Brotherhood of the Ring"

At the beginning of the trilogy "Lord of the Rings" Sauron already settled in Mordor and declared himself. He began to accumulate strength and gradually capture new territories. The only thing he missed was the Rings of Power.

The Order of the Magi, gathered to discuss the situation, was assured by its head Saruman Bely that the sought-after artifact is forever lost, and the Dark Lord never finds it.

However, Gandalf did not share the views of his fellow wizard. Moreover, he had long feared that his friend Bilbo had an ill-fated Ring.

Saruman envied and feared Gandalf, so he put spies on him and soon found out that he often was in the Shire, and became interested in the cause.

In the meantime, Gandalf helped Bilbo to retire, and before leaving he persuaded the Frodo Ring to bequeath, because he saw that the hobbits are quite well able to withstand the power of the artifact.

While Gandalf collected information on how to recognize the Ring of Omnipotence, the former owner of the Gollum Ring fell into the hands of Sauron's servants and gave them the name of the new owner, as well as the location of the artifact.

To save the Ring of Omnipotence, Gandalf the Gray persuades Frodo to take him to the elves. And he goes to Sauron, as the head of the Order. However, he opened his true face and tried to persuade the magician to make peace with Sauron. In addition, Saruman White himself dreamed of taking possession of the Ring. Refusing the proposal of the head of the Order, Gandalf was imprisoned, but he was rescued by a giant eagle sent by Radagast Burym.

Coming to the council in the elf Rivedella, Gandalf told the truth about the betrayal of Saruman and persuaded all to destroy the Ring, and with him and Sauron.

Having headed the Brotherhood of the Ring, the wizard had to guide his friends through the catacombs of Moria, where he faced the demonic creature Balgor. During the battle with him, Gandalf fell into the abyss and his comrades found him dead, continuing on their own.

Gandalf in the "Two Fortresses"

However, Gandalf did not die. Firstly, he could not definitively die, for he was a supreme being and an old man. And secondly, since he did not manage to fulfill the mission for which he was sent to Middle-earth, he was returned back. In addition, it is from this moment on he gets the name of Gandalf White.

In this part of the epic, Gandalf manifests himself more as a warrior than as a wizard. Together, Aragorn and his comrades go to Rohan and save their king. Then he helps the people of this kingdom to fight Saruman's orcs.

Having learned about the deed of the former head of the Order, the enthes help to capture people and the wizard Isengard. Captured Saruman is expelled from the Order, and the head of wizards in Middle-earth is Gandalf the White.

Gandalf in The Return of the King

After the victory of the people of Rohan over the forces of evil and the overthrow of Saruman, Gandalf understood that Sauron would try to recoup on Minas Tirith. Therefore, by all possible means he tries to save the city from hordes of orcs, trolls and other similar creatures.

After the death of the leader of the army and the Nazgul king-wizard Angmar Gandalf White, together with Aragorn decide to divert Sauron's attention to himself, to give the hobbits a chance to destroy the Magic Ring. For this, the heroes with the remaining army go to the Black Gate of Mordor and summon the hordes of Sauron to battle.

After the victory and destruction of the artifact, Gandalf White crowns Aragorn.

A little later, making sure that his mission in this world is fulfilled, he, along with the hobbits Frodo and Bilbo, as well as the elves of Elrond and Galadriel, depart from Middle-earth.

Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf

After the release of The Hobbit and other Tolkien novels in the United States, they instantly became iconic. Many film studios began to think about screening. However, for a long time it was assumed that it is impossible to make a good film that reflects all aspects of the novels. That's why the film adaptation was mostly only "The Hobbit", and it was most often cartoons.

Through the efforts of Peter Jackson, the opposite was proved. One of the main roles - the wizard Gandalf, the director instructed the famous Shakespearean actor - Sir Ian McKellen.

The future actor who played Gandalf was born, in 1939 in Great Britain. His family members were convinced Christians, but without fanaticism. Ian grew up in an atmosphere of care and attention.

For education McKellen was sent to a closed school for boys - Bolton. Here he got carried away by the theater and decided to connect the future with him.

After winning a personal scholarship, Iain continued his studies at St. Catherine's College.

In his career, he played in almost all Shakespeare plays in the theater, as well as in several films based on the works of this dramatist ("Hamlet", "King Lear", "Richard III").

He began filming in the second half of the sixties, and he was given major roles, both in the movies and in the television series. For his services in 1979 he became commander of the Order of the British Empire.

In the eighties, the artist's career began to decline, but in the early nineties he again became popular. The highest achievement for this period is the role of Richard III in the movie of the same name. McKellen often starred in the box-office films of this decade, though in small roles.

In 1997, he received the Golden Globe for his role in the television series Rasputin, and the following year he was already nominated for an Oscar for the film "Gods and Monsters."

Actually a world-famous actor became in 2000, when he played the cult character of the comic book Magneto in the X-Men, and later in all the sequels.

In 2001, the movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Brotherhood of the Ring" was released, where Ian became the actor who played Gandalf.

In subsequent years, the artist has repeatedly returned to this role in all sorts of sequels. For the role of Gandalf, he was nominated for an Oscar for the second time, but he did not receive a reward.

Today, the actor continues to play in the theater, sometimes acting in films. In 2015, he played the role of Sherlock Holmes in the film about his old age. In 2016, Iain will again appear before the audience as the villain Magneto, and in 2017 a musical film with his participation "Beauty and the Beast" should appear.

Who voiced Gandalf

After the successful adaptation of Tolkien's works, video games devoted to the events in Middle-earth appeared. The main game characters in them were the main characters of the epic and Gandalf the White (Gray) among them. In all the games of the main wizard of Middle-earth, Ian McKellen, the actor, voiced himself. Who played Gandalf in the movies - we now know for sure.

In the Russian translation of Gandalf in the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings", as well as video games, sounded a wonderful dubbing artist - Rogvold Sukhoverko. However, because of the illness in the trilogy "Hobbit", the magician was duplicated by another actor - Vasily Bochkarev.

A noteworthy fact: in the early 90's in Russia they planned to shoot the cartoon "Treasures under the Mountain" based on the "Hobbit". Gandalf was preparing to voice Nikolai Karachentsov, some materials were even written down. However, due to lack of funding, the project was closed.

The magical world of Middle-earth has been stirring the imagination of readers for more than half a century, and now the spectators. And all this thanks to a perfectly prescribed plot and, of course, unforgettable, bright characters. Not the last merit in this and the wizard Gandalf, who is the embodiment of wisdom, care and sacrifice in the epic.

British actor Ian McKellen magnificently embodied this character on screen in all films. I would like to hope that if another work by Tolkien - "Silmarillion" - will be filmed, the audience will again meet with their favorite character in the performance of McKellen.