Sir Ian McKellen hints ‘memory really does get worse’ with age – mild cognitive decline

Famed for playing Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings, Sir Ian McKellen is beloved by fans all over the world. The Oscar nominated actor accepts that “limitations”, however, are to be expected in life. “We all have limitations, don’t we, however old we are,” the 83-year-old said in a candid interview. “But there are times in life when the memory really does get worse and the mind doesn’t work as it should.”

Could McKellen be hinting towards mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia? Both conditions are more likely to occur in older age.

McKellen told Radio Times: “If you were to get to the stage where you couldn’t remember anything at all, well, that would be very distressing. Fortunately, I’m not there yet.”

If you hang onto his last word, “yet”, is McKellen suggesting that his memory doesn’t work as well as it used to?

In his younger years, he has taken leading roles in films such as Gods And Monsters (1998) and The Prisoner (2009