Ian McKellen believes that he is 'way way down' the list for directors when it comes to casting for movies.
Ian McKellen
McKellen may have starred in blockbuster franchises such as The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and X-Men in recent years, but the actor says that many of the big directors have never asked to work with him.
Speaking to Esquire's Big Black Book magazine, the actor said: "I don't think I'm top choice. In theatre - for Shakespeare - I'm quite near the top, but not for all directors. In film I'm way, way down.
"Spielberg's never asked to work with me, Tarantino has never asked, Sam Mendes has never asked.
"It isn't as if there's a long list of films I've turned down but there are plenty I wish I'd had a go at. That's the truth."
McKellen enjoyed huge success in 2014, when he reprised the roles of Magneto and Gandalf in X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies grossed over $955 million and X-Men: Days of Future Past over $748 million at the global box office - making them the second and sixth highest grossing movies of last year.
And the actor is going to be back on the big screen this summer in a smaller project Mr Holmes. McKellen will be the latest actor to take on the role of Sherlock Holmes as he reunites with director Bill Condon.
The movie is based on the novel by Mitch Culling - which was in turn inspired by the character created by Arthur Conan Doyle - and follows a retired Sherlock Holmes as he looks back on his life and continues to grapple with an unsolved case.
Mr Holmes is released 19th June.
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