McKellen keeps Gandalf's staff with brollies; pointy hat in basement

Ian McKellen keeps Gandalf's staff with his umbrellas.

The screen-and-stage icon has starred as the wizard in both 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and on-going saga 'The Hobbit', and revealed the staff he used on screen is kept in an unexpectedly normal place.

McKellen, 73, told the Mail On Sunday's live supplement: "At the end of 'The Hobbit' I was given Gandalf's staff, which I keep with umbrellas and walking sticks, and Gandalf's hat, which I keep in the basement."

The actor has kept souvenirs from a number of his projects, which he seems to prefer to awards ceremonies.

He explained: "I don't like [them]. You have to be excited in case you're called up, so you gear yourself up to be ready to perform and make a speech, and then if you're not called up you feel stupid for having prepared yourself for something that hasn't happened.

"There was one occasion when they said, 'And the winner is ... ' and I stood up and it wasn't me - I just felt so embarrassed."