Sir Ian McKellen nominated for British Academy award

Openly gay actor Sir Ian McKellen is one of five Best Actor nominees for the 2001 British Academy Film Awards for his performance as Gandalf the Grey in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He will be competing against Jim Broadbent (Iris--a role that has been considered a supporting performance by the Golden Globes and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, among others), Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind), Kevin Spacey (The Shipping News), and Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom). Out author-actor Stephen Fry will host the awards presentation, which will be broadcast on BBC1 on February 24.