Ian McKellen will be honoured in his hometown of Wigan.  He will be given a star in Wigan town centre. Although McKellen was born in Burnley, the 75-year-old actor lived in Wigan during the 1940s. McKellen said he was pleased to receive the award as the town "holds many special memories".

Ian McKellenIan McKellen will recieve an honour in his hometown of Wigan.

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McKellen lived in Wigan from the age of three until he was 11, when his family moved to another town in Lancashire, Bolton. McKellen has evidently not been back to Wigan since he moved from the town more than 60 years ago as he expressed his excitement at seeing how the town had changed. McKellen will return to the town in June to accept the honour. 

"It will be fascinating to see how the town has developed since 1951, when our family moved to Bolton," McKellen said. "If only the Hippodrome was still there."

Lord Peter Smith, the leader of Wigan Council, released a short statement in which he explained how Wigan was proud of their "town's most loved sons" and "honoured" to be presenting McKellen with the star. 

"Sir Ian McKellen is rightly one of this town's most loved sons who has brought the magic of stage and screen to life to so many people around the world," Smith said. "There are few better ambassadors for the town having inspired people across Wigan Borough in so many ways including his active work campaigning for equal rights for LGBT community and as a founder of Stonewall."

McKellen's stage and film career has been prolific but he is best known for his roles as Gandalf the Grey in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and for his portrayal of Magneto in X-Men. McKellen can next be seen as Sherlock Holmes in the upcoming film Mr. Holmes and in the BBC's upcoming adaptation The Dresser, opposite Antony Hopkins

Wigan Today first reported the news.

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The Hobbit
Ian McKellen as Gandalf in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.