Ian McKellen receives honorary degree from Cambridge

Sir Ian McKellen has received an honorary degree from Cambridge University.

The actor and LGBT rights activist has been made a Doctor of Letters by St Catharine’s College, where he studied English in the 1950s, in recognition of his five-decade career as an actor and director.

McKellen is best known for his roles in the Lord of the Rings and X-Men movies, as well as his extensive stage work and recent appearances opposite Sir Derek Jacobi in gay-themed ITV sitcom Vicious. During his illustrious career he has won five Olivier Awards, a Tony, a Golden Globe and twice been nominated for an Oscar.

McKellen told his Twitter followers about his honorary degree on Twitter earlier today (June 23), noting that his college had raised a rainbow flag in his honour.

I’m now honorary Doctor of Letters at #Cambridge. My old college St Catharine’s celebrated by flying the rainbow flag pic.twitter.com/dItAKTjumi

— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) June 23, 2014

Meanwhile, last month (May) it was announced that McKellen will play Sherlock Holmes in a forthcoming film called A Slight Trick of the Mind – click here to find out more about the film.