--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had never come across the 'X-Men'…" description: "\"I had never come across the 'X-Men' comics till I was asked to play Magneto, so I just jumped into that job.\" — Ian Mckellen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/ian-mckellen-1396_across_i-had-never-come-across-the-x-men-comics_2781296.jpg" --- # I had never come across the 'X-Men' comics till I was… ![“I had never come across the 'X-Men' comics till I was asked to play Magneto, so I just jumped into that job.” quote by Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/ian-mckellen-1396_across_i-had-never-come-across-the-x-men-comics_2781296.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/ian-mckellen-1396_across_i-had-never-come-across-the-x-men-comics_2781296.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/ian-mckellen-1396_across_i-had-never-come-across-the-x-men-comics_2781296.jpg) > “I had never come across the 'X-Men' comics till I was asked to play Magneto, so I just jumped into that job.” [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He was unfamiliar with X‑Men comics until cast as Magneto, then embraced the role wholeheartedly. **In simple terms:** Learned about X‑Men when cast as Magneto. Key Takeaway Embrace new opportunities even without prior knowledge. Themes adaptation career learning Mood enthusiastic inspired Type career personal growth When to use this quote - audition preparation - skill acquisition Key Concepts acting comic book culture Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle unfamiliar roles? - What strategies aid rapid learning? A Different Perspective May imply lack of preparation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Comics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comics/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Magneto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magneto/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [X men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/x-men/) ## Related quotes > [On the day after 9/11, I walking through the smoke and the smells of New York. There were knots of policemen everywhere. As I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/on-the-day-after-9-11-i-walking-through-the-smoke-and-the-smells-of/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [The only time I ever met a character that I wrote was when I met Ian McKellan, when he was playing Magneto in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/the-only-time-i-ever-met-a-character-that-i-wrote-was-when-i-met-ian/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Journalists often ask me: "Aren't you sorry that after all the work you've done, you're best known as Magneto and Gandalf?" But that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/journalists-often-ask-me-aren-t-you-sorry-that-after-all-the-work-you/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Magneto wants to cope with the difficulties thrust upon him by society and by his own nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/magneto-wants-to-cope-with-the-difficulties-thrust-upon-him-by/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [If you've got Mystique as your girlfriend the fun you could have in bed - I've just imagined X-Men 3 might open with me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/if-you-ve-got-mystique-as-your-girlfriend-the-fun-you-could-have-in/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [The demographic of our audience is young. It also contains a high proportion of black, Jewish and gay people, who have all been encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-demographic-of-our-audience-is-young-it-also-contains-a-high/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [A few years ago, a friend said to me: "You do realize, Ian, when X-Men and Lord of the Rings come out, your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/a-few-years-ago-a-friend-said-to-me-you-do-realize-ian-when-x-men-and/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I've always felt that 'X-Men' was about something serious. It wasn't just fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-ve-always-felt-that-x-men-was-about-something-serious-it-wasn-t/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Because I was in the business of translating the 'X-Men' from the very successful comics, and taking the most popular book of the 20th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/because-i-was-in-the-business-of-translating-the-x-men-from-the-very/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [“The kid curled his fingers inward, like he was motioning them to come play with him, and in a total Magneto way, the guns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/the-kid-curled-his-fingers-inward-like-he-was-motioning-them-to-come/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [My resonance to Magneto and Xavier was borne more out of the Holocaust. It was coming face to face with evil, and how do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-claremont/my-resonance-to-magneto-and-xavier-was-borne-more-out-of-the/) [Chris Claremont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-claremont/) > [Magneto is classically known for being, like, a caricature of a supervillain who gives a lot of speeches, likes to fly up, teach people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-dumont/magneto-is-classically-known-for-being-like-a-caricature-of-a/) [Emma Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-dumont/) > [Your humans slaughter each other because of the color of your skin, or your faith or your plitics -- or for no reason at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/your-humans-slaughter-each-other-because-of-the-color-of-your-skin-or/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [That's why when major badasses greet each other in movies, they don't say anything, they just nod. The nod means, 'I' am a badass,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/that-s-why-when-major-badasses-greet-each-other-in-movies-they-don-t/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The most fascinating powers don't mean a thing if the guy's poorly motivated or dull, and the most generic powers won't hurt a well-motivated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/the-most-fascinating-powers-don-t-mean-a-thing-if-the-guy-s-poorly/) [Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/) ## More by Ian Mckellen > [I've always longed for the theatre and acting to be popular. No actor wants to play to an empty house. We only do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-ve-always-longed-for-the-theatre-and-acting-to-be-popular-no-actor/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [It's my impression that I've done every job that I've been asked to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/it-s-my-impression-that-i-ve-done-every-job-that-i-ve-been-asked-to-do/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'm fortunate to be famous for two rather imposing characters like Magneto and Gandalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-m-fortunate-to-be-famous-for-two-rather-imposing-characters-like/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Tolkien is as good as Dickens at sketching a scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/tolkien-is-as-good-as-dickens-at-sketching-a-scene/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [If you are playing King Lear you are the centre of attention anyway. You don't need to draw attention to yourself. It's all laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/if-you-are-playing-king-lear-you-are-the-centre-of-attention-anyway/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Godot is whatever it is in life that you are waiting for: 'I'm waiting to win the lottery. I'm waiting to fall in love'.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/godot-is-whatever-it-is-in-life-that-you-are-waiting-for-i-m-waiting/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'm only an actor. I'm not a writer. I'm not going to leave any legacy. 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Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-strength-of-british-theatre-should-be-that-these-actors-in-their/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Until I came out, my acting was all about disguise, and thereafter it became about telling the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/until-i-came-out-my-acting-was-all-about-disguise-and-thereafter-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Elijah looks angelic but his beauty of spirit is what makes his Frodo leap out of the screen. Unalloyed goodness is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/elijah-looks-angelic-but-his-beauty-of-spirit-is-what-makes-his-frodo/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > ['The Lego Movie?' I've never heard of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-lego-movie-i-ve-never-heard-of-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [When I appeared in 'Coronation Street,' I lived in Manchester and enjoyed it very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/when-i-appeared-in-coronation-street-i-lived-in-manchester-and/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Before acting, I wanted to become a journalist. I also toyed with the idea of being a chef - but that's only when people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/before-acting-i-wanted-to-become-a-journalist-i-also-toyed-with-the/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) [Explore all 247 Ian Mckellen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## More Across quotes > [I realized I couldn't be a journalist because I like to take a side, to have an opinion and a point a view; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-realized-i-couldn-t-be-a-journalist-because-i-like-to-take-a-side/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [Many of us believe that we need health care reform. That being said - Americans felt like they weren't being listened to. 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