Lord Of The Rings Trilogy: 16 Easter Eggs, In-Jokes & References You Need To See

2. Ian McKellen Based Gandalf's Accent On J.R.R. Tolkien's Own - All The Movies

"You shall not pass!" Ian McKellen's immortal line has gone down in movie history as one of the best and greatest dialogue cues ever, partly in thanks to that iconic voice. What many people might not have noticed about Gandalf's accent, however, is that it isn't quite McKellen's natural voice. Indeed, the actor based Gandalf's accent around J.R.R. Tolkien's own, and there are subtle differences to prove it. McKellen's natural accent isn't quite as deep as the one he uses in the movies, for example, and he isn't quite as posh. There's also a gruffness to his Gandalf voice that stems from Tolkien's love of his pipe.