Ian McKellen to fulfill dream of appearing on British soap Coronation Street

Ian McKellen is fulfilling a long-held ambition: an appearance on long-running British soap Coronation Street. McKellen, who played the wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies, will appear in 10 episodes of the show, producers said Thursday. "We are delighted that an actor of Ian McKellen's caliber has agreed to appear in the show," said producer Tony Wood. McKellen, 65, already has two Academy Award nominations, a reputation as Britain's finest living classical actor, and a knighthood from the queen. He said last year his one remaining goal was to appear in Coronation Street, a much-loved soap about everyday life in the northern English community of Weatherfield. He will play Mel Hutchwright, a flamboyant romance novelist with a host of secrets, in episodes due to start airing in May. (AP)