Sir Ian McKellen
BURNLEY-BORN actor Sir Ian McKellen has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Ulster.
On accepting the title, Sir Ian, legendary star of blockbusters such as Lord Of The Rings and X-Men, revealed he could trace his family tree back to the County Antrim town of Ballymena.
He delivered a lecture at the invitation of the university’s chancellor, The Hobbit co-star James Nesbitt.
The 73-year-old discussed his campaign work for gay rights with an audience the university’s Magee campus, in Londonderry.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here