Sir Ian McKellen said he was ‘hiding something’ when he appeared on a BBC talk show at the weekend.
The Burnley-born actor appeared on The Graham Norton show on Friday night (22 October) to talk about his new theatre production.
He came onto the show wearing a suit and a suspicious-looking grey hat.
The show’s host asked him: “I don’t mean this in a rude way – but are you in costume?”
Ian replied: “Oh you mean the hat?
“Well I’m hiding something… my head,” he joked.
Ian, who is usually spotted with a good head of grey and white hair, removed his hat to reveal a completely shaven head.
He explained: “I’m in a play and I have to play someone even older than I am - and I have a lot of [beard] whiskers so I thought I would shave my head.
“Eat your heart out, Patrick Stewart,” he joked.
However, Ian didn’t feel comfortable sporting the clean-shaven head look as he later asked to put the hat back on stating that he felt like “such a fool”.
Ian is performing in a London show called The Cherry Orchard which will be playing at Theatre Royal in Windsor until 13 November.
He plays Firs in the Anton Chekhov play, a bearded servant who is five years older than 82-year-old McKellen.
This show closely follows Ian’s portrayal of Hamlet at the same theatre, a play which has been described as an “age and gender blind” production.
On The Graham Norton show, Ian has some advice for older people after his experience playing both roles.
He said: “I was playing a young man [in Hamlet] and I’m now playing an old man.
“The funny thing is when I was playing Hamlet, running up and down the stairs and all sorts, I felt fit as a fiddle.
“Now I’m playing an old fellow, bent double and kneeling I come off aching all over.
“My advice to anyone of my age is – keep active, keep moving, don’t settle down in your chair or use a stick if you can avoid it.”
If you want to get tickets to see Ian in The Cherry Orchard, you can do so on The Theatre Royal website.
You can also catch up on The Grahame Norton Show episode over on iPlayer.
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