Ian McKellen Reveals He Has Prostate Cancer

Legendary actor Ian McKellen may be 73-years-old, but with at least two (and up to six) different projects under his belt almost every year for the past decade, he is showing no signs of slowing down.

That’s why the entertainment world was in shock earlier this week when the man known as Gandalf revealed that he had prostate cancer.

In a new interview with the Daily Mirror, McKellen said that he has been suffering from the illness for six or seven years already, and luckily for him, everything is under control:

“When you have got it you monitor it and you have to be careful it doesn’t spread. But if it is contained in the prostate it’s no big deal…Many, many men die from it but it’s one of the cancers that is totally treatable. I am examined regularly and it’s just contained, it’s not spreading. I’ve not had any treatment.”

The British actor revealed that while he was nervous at first, he realized he was one of the lucky ones:

“You do gulp when you hear the news…I have heard of people dying from prostate cancer, and they are the unlucky ones. The people who didn’t know they had got it and it went on the rampage. But at my age if it is diagnosed it’s not life-threatening.”

McKellen can next be seen in the LORD OF THE RINGS prequel THE HOBBIT, which hits theaters this Friday.