It was a shady day over in the U.K. when Homeland Emmy winner (and West End veteran) Damian Lewis told The Guardian he was glad his career took him into television and movies before he ended up, “one of these slightly over-the-top, fruity actors who would have an illustrious career on stage, but wouldn't start getting any kind of film work until I was 50 and then start playing wizards."
Well, it didn’t take too long for people to think Lewis was making a dig at legendary theater star and Lord of the Rings icon Sir Ian McKellen.
Not to worry about Gandalf/ Magneto, like the true gentleman he is, McKellen responded to The Radio Times, “I wouldn't like to have been one of those actors who hit stardom quite early on and expected it to continue and was stuck doing scripts that I didn't particularly like just to keep the income up. I've always wanted to get better as an actor. And I have got better. As for a fruity voice? Well, it may be a voice that is trained like an opera singer's voice: to fill a large space. It is unnatural. No one needs to feel sorry for me or Michael Gambon [who played Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies] or anyone else who has fallen victim to success."
And there you have it. Round one goes to McKellen, who is currently giving first-rate performances in Broadway’s Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land. It should also be noted, Lewis sent a private apology to McKellen; so he gets some points for that.
