company name	Age Concern
company logo
company type	Charity
location	UK
industry	charitable organizations
homepage
footnotes	}}

Age Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations (NGOs) specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people (defined as those over the age of 50) based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom.

In addition to providing practical support to individuals, Age Concern campaigned on issues such as age discrimination and pensions, and works to influence public opinion and government policy about older people.

Numerous Age Concern organisations have been established throughout the UK, working at national and local levels. At the national level, four Age Concern organisations covered England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Local Age Concerns vary from small village groups to countywide organisations. In England, over 370 of the individual charities were members of a national federation. Although each was a separate registered charity working under the Age Concern banner, the federation allowed members to collaborate at local, regional and national levels, to share resources, expertise and influence.

Similar organisations also exist in New Zealand, Spain, Ukraine, and elsewhere under similar banners. There is a strong international network considered to be one of the leading authorities on aging related issues.

Since the merger of Age Concern England and Help the Aged, Age UK has taken over the mantle of the national face of Age in the UK, and several local organisations have also adopted the new name, many local organisations continue to operate as Age Concerns.

History[link]

Age Concern's origins are British and can be traced back to a realisation in that country of the effects on aged people of the Second World War; the dislocation and breakdown of family life arising out of conscription led to a recognition that existing poor laws failed to provide effective support for old people separated from family support networks.

In 1940, the Old People’s Welfare Committee (OPWC), chaired by Eleanor Rathbone, was formed as a forum for discussion between government and voluntary organisations. OPWC was a sub-committee of Liverpool Personal Service Society (PSS). In 1944, the committee changed its name to the National Old People’s Welfare Committee (NOPWC), and took on responsibility for coordinating the activities of numerous local OPWCs.

From the 1950s onwards, NOPWC accessed government and local funds associated with the post-war development of the welfare state, to provide services to local committees, and training to wardens of old people's homes.

In 1971, under the direction of David Hobman, the NOPWC changed its public name to ''Age Concern'', and separated itself entirely from government and the National Council for Social Service, now NCVO. It did so while also launching a 'manifesto for old age' and establishing itself nationally as a lobbying body as well as an organisation that engaged in service provision and enhancement, training and research.

The directors of Age Concern England have included David Hobman, Baroness Greengross, and Gordon Lishman - the current Director General.

In 1986 Age Concern established an Institute of Gerontology at King's College London into which it folded its own Age Concern Research Unit.

Heyday [link]

On 30 May 2006, Age Concern launched Heyday - marking the launch by carrying out the UK's biggest survey, asking 10 million people born in the 1940s and 1950s for views on issues such as ageism, pensions and health.

Heyday was launched as a separate not-for-profit membership organisation for all people who are thinking about, planning for or in retirement. Heyday offered members access to expert advice on finances, work, retirement and health, as well as providing them with a voice and putting them in touch with one another, for a small annual subscription.

With ambitious membership targets, a year after launch, Heyday had proved an expensive and controversial exercise within the Age Concern federation. Due to lower than expected membership take-up, Age Concern restructured the Heyday scheme, introducing new recruitment channels such as through corporate schemes, and streamlined the supporting infrastructure to more closely meet the lower level of activity.

Shortly after a Charity Commission report made a number of recommendations, Heyday announced that the membership scheme would close on 31 March 2009, noting that Heyday would maintain a presence on the Age Concern website following the merger with Help the Aged.

The charity itself commissioned Sir Christopher Kelly to investigate the project. His report, published in June, 2009, concluded that Age Concern had lost over £22 million on the venture.

Merger[link]

In May 2008, Age Concern England and Help the Aged announced plans for the two charities to merge. Following consultation, this was confirmed in September, when Dianne Jeffrey was confirmed as the new chair of trustees.

Tom Wright CBE, currently chief executive of VisitBritain, and Trustee of the Imperial War Museum was appointed Chief Executive of the new charity in November 2008.

The merged charity, now known as Age UK was formed on 1 April 2009, and launched a major branding exercise in April 2010, featuring Brian Cox, Ian McKellen and Eleanor Bron in the charity's first television campaign.

References[link]

External links[link]

Age Concern in the United Kingdom:

Age Concern in England (#261794 at the Charity Commission), Scotland (#SC010100 at Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator), and Cymru (Wales) (#505071 at the Charity Commission)

Age Concern Northern Ireland

The Age Concern Institute of Gerontology (ACIOG)

Age Concern Travel Insurance Articles

Intelligent Giving profile of Age Concern England

Heyday:

Heyday

BBC News item #1

BBC News item #2

GMTV news item

Lishman defends Heyday decisions, Third Sector, April 2007

International Age Concern organisations:

Age Concern Bermuda

Age Concern New Zealand / He Manaakitanga Kaumātua Aotearoa

Age Concern España

Age Concern Ukraine / Turbota pro Litnih v Ukraini

Category:Ageism Category:Aging Category:International charities Category:Charities for the elderly based in the United Kingdom

de:Age Concern

name	Sir Ian McKellen
honorific suffix	CBE CH
birth name	Ian Murray McKellen
birth date	May 25, 1939
birth place	Burnley, Lancashire, England
occupation	Actor
years active	1959–present
partner	Brian Taylor (1964–1972)Sean Mathias (1978–1988)
Alma mater	Cambridge University
website	http://www.mckellen.com/ }}

Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CBE, CH (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has won multiple Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is known for film roles such as Gandalf in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Magneto in the ''X-Men'' films, and as Sir Leigh Teabing in ''The Da Vinci Code''.

McKellen was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1979, was knighted in 1991 for services to the performing arts, and was made a Companion of Honour for services to drama and to equality, in the 2008 New Year Honours.

Early life [link]

McKellen was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England, though he spent most of his early life in Wigan. Born shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the experience had some lasting impact on him. In response to an interview question when an interviewer remarked that he seemed quite calm in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks, he said: "Well, darling, you forget — I slept under a steel plate until I was four years old."

McKellen's father, Denis Murray McKellen, a civil engineer, was a lay preacher, and both of his grandfathers were preachers. At the time of Ian's birth, his parents already had a five-year-old daughter, Jean. His home environment was strongly Christian, but non-orthodox. "My upbringing was of low nonconformist Christians who felt that you led the Christian life in part by behaving in a Christian manner to everybody you met." When he was 12, his mother, Margery Lois (''née'' Sutcliffe), died; his father died when he was 24. Of his coming out of the closet to his stepmother, Gladys McKellen, who was a member of the Religious Society of Friends, he said, "Not only was she not fazed, but as a member of a society which declared its indifference to people's sexuality years back, I think she was just glad for my sake that I wasn't lying anymore."

McKellen attended Bolton School (boys division), of which he is still a supporter, attending regularly to talk to pupils. McKellen's acting career started at Bolton Little Theatre, of which he is now the patron. An early fascination with the theatre was encouraged by his parents, who took him on a family outing to ''Peter Pan'' at the Opera House in Manchester when he was three. When he was nine, his main Christmas present was a wood and bakelite, fold-away Victorian theatre from Pollocks Toy Theatres, with cardboard scenery and wires to push on the cut-outs of Cinderella and of Laurence Olivier's Hamlet. His sister took him to his first Shakespeare play, ''Twelfth Night'', by the amateurs of Wigan's Little Theatre, shortly followed by their ''Macbeth'' and Wigan High School for Girls' production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' with music by Mendelssohn and with the role of Bottom played by Jean McKellen. (Jean continued to act, direct, and produce amateur theatre up to her death.)

He won a scholarship to St Catharine's College, Cambridge, when he was eighteen, where he developed an attraction to Derek Jacobi. He has characterised it as "a passion that was undeclared and unrequited".

Career [link]

Theatre [link]

While at Cambridge McKellen was a member of the Marlowe Society, appearing in ''Henry IV'' (as Shallow) alongside Trevor Nunn and Jacobi (March 1959), ''Cymbeline'' (as Posthumus, opposite Margaret Drabble as Imogen) and ''Doctor Faustus''. His first professional appearance was in 1961 at the Nottingham Playhouse, as Roper in ''A Man for All Seasons'', although an audio recording of the Marlowe Society's ''Cymbeline'' had gone on commercial sale as part of the Argo Shakespeare series. After four years in regional repertory theatres he made his first West End appearance, in ''A Scent of Flowers'', regarded as a "notable success". In 1965 he was a member of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre Company at the Old Vic, which led to rôles at the Chichester Festival. In the 1970s and 1980s McKellen became a well-known figure in British theatre, performing frequently at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, where he played several leading Shakespearean roles, including the titular part in ''Macbeth'' (which he had first assayed for Trevor Nunn in a "gripping...out of the ordinary" production, with Judi Dench, at Stratford in 1976), and Iago in ''Othello'', in award-winning productions directed by Nunn. Both of these productions were adapted into television films, also directed by Nunn.

In 2007 he returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company, in productions of ''King Lear'' and ''The Seagull'', both directed by Trevor Nunn. In 2009 he appeared in a very popular revival of ''Waiting for Godot'' at London's Haymarket Theatre, directed by Sean Mathias and playing opposite Patrick Stewart.

McKellen is also President and Patron of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain, an association of amateur theatre organisations throughout the UK.

Popular success [link]

McKellen had taken film roles throughout his career — beginning in 1969 with his role of George Matthews in ''A Touch of Love'', but it was not until the 1990s that he became more widely recognised in this medium, through several roles in blockbuster Hollywood films.

In 1993, McKellen had a supporting role as a South African tycoon in the critically acclaimed ''Six Degrees of Separation'', in which he starred with Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland, and Will Smith. In the same year, he appeared in minor roles in the television miniseries ''Tales of the City'' (based on the novel by his friend Armistead Maupin) and the film ''Last Action Hero'', in which he played Death. The same year, McKellen appeared in the television film ''And the Band Played On'', about the discovery of the AIDS virus, for which McKellen won a CableACE Award for Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries and was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

In 1995, he played the title role in the critical hit ''Richard III'', which transported the setting into an alternative 1930s wherein England is ruled by Fascists. McKellen co-produced and co-wrote the film, adapting the play for the screen based on a stage production of Shakespeare's play directed by Richard Eyre for the Royal National Theatre, in which McKellen had appeared. In McKellen's role as executive producer he returned his £50,000 fee in order to complete the filming of the final battle. In his review of the film, Hal Hinson of ''The Washington Post'', called McKellen's performance a "lethally flamboyant incarnation" and said his "florid mastery ... dominates everything". His performance in the title role garnered best actor nominations for the BAFTA Award and Golden Globe, and won the European Film Award for Best Actor. His screenplay was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

His breakthrough role among mainstream American audiences came with the modestly acclaimed ''Apt Pupil'', based on a story by Stephen King. McKellen portrayed an old Nazi officer, living under a false name in the U.S., who was befriended by a curious teenager (Brad Renfro) who threatened to expose him unless he told his story in detail. His casting was based partly on his performance in ''Cold Comfort Farm'', seen by ''Apt Pupil'' director Bryan Singer, despite the BBC's refusal to release it in cinemas. He was subsequently nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1998 film ''Gods and Monsters'', wherein he played James Whale, the director of ''Show Boat'' (1936) and ''Frankenstein''.

He reteamed with Bryan Singer to play the comic book supervillain Magneto in ''X-Men'' and its sequels ''X2: X-Men United'' and ''X-Men: The Last Stand''. It was while filming ''X-Men'' that he was cast as the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson's three-film adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings'' (consisting of ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', ''The Two Towers'', and ''The Return of the King''). McKellen received honors from the Screen Actors Guild for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his work in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same role. He also voiced Gandalf in the video game adaptions of the film trilogy as well as in ''The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age''. On January 10, 2011 it was officially confirmed that Mckellen would reprise the role of Gandalf in the film adaptation of ''The Hobbit''. On 16 March 2002, he was the host on ''Saturday Night Live''. In 2003, McKellen made a guest appearance as himself on the American cartoon show ''The Simpsons'', in a special British-themed episode entitled "The Regina Monologues", along with Tony Blair and J. K. Rowling. In April and May 2005, he played the role of Mel Hutchwright in Granada Television's long running soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', fulfilling a lifelong ambition. He is also known for his voicework, having narrated Richard Bell's film ''Eighteen'', as a grandfather who leaves his World War II memoirs on audiocassette for his teenage grandson.

McKellen has appeared in limited release films, such as ''Emile'' (which was shot in a few days during the ''X2'' shoot), ''Neverwas'' and ''Asylum''. He appeared as Sir Leigh Teabing in ''The Da Vinci Code.'' During a 17 May 2006 interview on ''The Today Show'' with the ''Da Vinci Code'' cast and director, Matt Lauer posed a question to the group about how they would have felt if the film had borne a prominent disclaimer that it is a work of fiction, as some religious groups wanted. McKellen responded, "I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying 'This is fiction.' I mean, walking on water? It takes... an act of faith. And I have faith in this movie — not that it's true, not that it's factual, but that it's a jolly good story." He continued, "And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction, and discuss the thing when they've seen it". McKellen appeared in the 2006 series of Ricky Gervais' comedy series ''Extras'', where he played himself directing Gervais' character Andy Millman in a play about gay lovers. McKellen received a 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series nomination for his performance. He also appeared in the 2009 remake of the 1967 The Prisoner, where he played the character Number Two.

Personal life [link]

McKellen and his first serious partner, Brian Taylor, a history teacher from Bolton, began their relationship in 1964. It lasted for eight years, ending in 1972. They lived in London, where McKellen continued to pursue his career as an actor. For over a decade, he has lived in a five-story Victorian conversion in Narrow Street, Limehouse. In 1978 he met his second partner, Sean Mathias, at the Edinburgh Festival. This relationship lasted until 1988. According to Mathias, the ten-year love affair was tempestuous, with conflicts over McKellen's success in acting versus Mathias' somewhat less-successful career. Mathias and McKellen remained friends, and Mathias directed McKellen in ''Waiting For Godot'' at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2009. The pair have entered into business partnership with Evgeny Lebedev purchasing the lease on The Grapes public house in Narrow Street, close to McKellen's home.

A friend of Ian Charleson and a great admirer of his work, McKellen contributed a chapter to the 1990 book, ''For Ian Charleson: A Tribute''.

In the late 1980s, McKellen lost his appetite for meat except for fish, and so mostly excludes it from his diet.

Activism [link]

LGBT rights campaigning [link]

While McKellen had made his sexual orientation known to his fellow actors early on in his stage career, it was not until 1988 that he came out to the general public, in a programme on BBC Radio 3. The context that prompted McKellen's decision — overriding any concerns about a possible negative effect on his career — was that the controversial Section 28 of the Local Government Bill, simply known as Section 28, was under consideration in the British Parliament. McKellen has stated that he was influenced in his decision by the advice and support of his friends, among them noted gay author Armistead Maupin.

In 2003, during an appearance on ''Have I Got News For You'', McKellen claimed that when he visited Michael Howard, then Environment Secretary (responsible for local government), in 1988 to lobby against Section 28, Howard refused to change his position but did ask him to leave an autograph for his children. McKellen agreed, but wrote, "Fuck off, I'm gay." McKellen also described Howard's junior ministers, the Conservatives David Wilshire and Dame Jill Knight, who were the architects of Section 28, as the 'ugly sisters' of a political pantomime.

Section 28, which proposed to prohibit local authorities from "promoting homosexuality" 'as a kind of pretended family relationship', was ambiguous and the actual impact of the amendment was uncertain. McKellen became active in fighting the proposed law, and declared himself gay on a BBC Radio programme where he debated the subject of Section 28 with the conservative journalist Peregrine Worsthorne. He has said of this period: "My own participating in that campaign was a focus for people [to] take comfort that if Ian McKellen was on board for this, perhaps it would be all right for other people to be as well, gay and straight". Section 28 was, however, enacted and remained on the statute books until 2003.

McKellen has continued to be very active in LGBT rights efforts. In a statement on his website regarding his activism, the actor commented that: }}

McKellen is a co-founder of Stonewall, a LGBT rights lobby group in the United Kingdom, named after the Stonewall riots. McKellen is also patron of LGBT History Month, Pride London, GAY-GLOS, The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, and FFLAG where he appears in their video "Parents Talking".

In 1994, at the closing ceremony of the Gay Games, he briefly took the stage to address the crowd, saying, "I'm Sir Ian McKellen, but you can call me Serena" (this nickname, originally given to him by Stephen Fry, had been circulating within the gay community since McKellen's knighthood was conferred). In 2002, he attended the Academy Awards with his then-boyfriend, New Zealander Nick Cuthell.

In 2006, McKellen spoke at the pre-launch of the 2007 LGBT History Month in the UK, lending his support to the organisation and its founder, Sue Sanders. In 2007 McKellen became a patron of The Albert Kennedy Trust, an organisation that provides support to young, homeless and troubled LGBT people.

In 2006, McKellen became a patron of Oxford Pride. At the time he said:

}}

McKellen has taken his activism internationally, where it caused a major stir in Singapore. Invited to do an interview on a morning show, he shocked the interviewer by asking if they could recommend him a gay bar. The program immediately ended. In December 2008, he was named in ''Out'''s annual Out 100 list.

In May 2011, McKellen called Sergey Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow, a "coward" when he refused to allow gay parades in the city.

Charity work [link]

In April 2010, along with Brian Cox and Eleanor Bron, appeared in a series of TV advertisements to support Age UK, the charity recently formed from the merger of Age Concern and Help the Aged. All three actors gave their time free of charge.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch [link]

While in New Zealand filming ''The Hobbit'' in 2012, McKellen announced a special show 'Shakespeare, Tolkien, ITR and You!', with proceeds from the two shows going to help save the Isaac Theatre Royal, which suffered extensive damage during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. McKellen said he opted to help save the building as it was the last theatre he played in New Zealand (''Waiting For Godot'' in 2010) and the locals' love for it made it a place worth contributing to.

Selected stage and screen credits [link]

Stage [link]

''Much Ado About Nothing'', Royal National Theatre, Old Vic, London, 1965

''Trelawny of the 'Wells''', National Theatre, London & Chichester Festival, 1965

''The Promise'', West End; Broadway, 1967

''Edward II'' (in title role), Edinburgh Festival & West End, 1969

''Hamlet'' (title role), UK/European Tour, 1971

'''Tis Pity She's a Whore'', UK Tour, 1972

''Dr Faustus'' (title role), Royal Shakespeare Company, Edinburgh Festival & Aldwych Theatre (London), 1974

''King John'', RSC, 1975

''Romeo and Juliet'' (as Romeo), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon & London, 1976

''The Winter's Tale'', RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1976

''Macbeth'' (title role), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon & Young Vic (London), 1976–1977

''The Alchemist'', RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon & London, 1977

''Every Good Boy Deserves Favour'', RSC, Barbican Arts Centre (London), 1977

''Three Sisters'', RSC, UK Tour, 1978

''Bent'', (as Max) Royal Court and Criterion, London, 1979

''Amadeus'' (as Salieri), Broadway, 1980

''Coriolanus'' (title role), National Theatre, 1984

''Wild Honey'', National Theatre, 1984 (& Broadway, 1986)

''The Cherry Orchard'' (as Lopakhin), National Theatre, 1985

''The Duchess of Malfi'', National Theatre, 1985

''The Real Inspector Hound'', National Theatre, London & Paris, 1985

''Othello'' (as Iago), RSC, London & Stratford-upon-Avon, 1989

''Richard III'' (title role), National Theatre, world tour, 1990 & US tour, 1992

''Uncle Vanya'' (title role), National Theatre, 1992

''Peter Pan'' (as Mr. Darling/Captain Hook), National Theatre, 1997

''An Enemy of the People'', National Theatre, 1997 & Ahmanson Theatre (Los Angeles), 1998

''Present Laughter'', West Yorkshire Playhouse (Leeds, England), 1998

''Dance of Death'', at the Broadhurst Theatre (New York) in 2001. At the Lyric Theatre (London, England) in 2003

''Aladdin'', (as Widow Twankie) Old Vic, 2004 & 2005

''The Cut'', Donmar Warehouse, 2006

''King Lear'' by ''William Shakespeare'', (as Lear), Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 2007; New Zealand, 2007; New York (Brooklyn Academy of Music), 2007, Minneapolis, 2007, New London Theatre (West End), 2007–8

''The Seagull'' by ''Anton Chekhov'', (as Sorin), Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 2007; New York (Brooklyn Academy of Music), 2007 Minneapolis, 2007, New London Theatre (West End), 2007–8

''Waiting for Godot'' by ''Samuel Beckett'', (as Estragon), Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, 2009 and 2010; Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Australia, 2010 and Fugard Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa, 2010

''The Syndicate'' by Eduardo de Filippo, Chichester Festival, 2011

Filmography [link]

Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1966			(TV)
		Leonidik
	Roger
	George Matthews
	''Priest of Love''	Lawrence
	Narrator
	Walter
1983		Dr. Theodore Cuza
		Sir Andrew Charleson
	Arthur Kronfeld
1989		John Profumo
		Geoffrey Miller
''The Ballad of Little Jo''	Percy Corcoran
''Last Action Hero''	Death	(cameo appearance)
	Bill Kraus	CableACE Awards
		Quilt Documentary Narrator	(voice)
	Dr. Reinhardt Lane
''[[I'll Do Anything''	John Earl McAlpine
		Will Gates
''Cold Comfort Farm (film)''	Amos Starkadder	(TV)
		European Film Awards
''[[Jack and Sarah''	William
1996	''Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny''	Nicholas II
	''Swept from the Sea''	Dr. James Kennedy
	Uncle Freddie
		Kurt Dussander	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor(also for ''Gods and Monsters'')Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor(also for ''Gods and Monsters'')Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
''Gods and Monsters''	James Whale	British Independent Film Award for Best ActorBroadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor(also for ''Apt Pupil'')Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorChlotrudis Award for Best ActorFlorida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor(also for ''Apt Pupil'')Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead MaleKansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActorLos Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNational Board of Review Award for Best ActorOnline Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorSan Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorSan Sebastián International Film Festival Award for Best ActorToronto Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated—Academy Award for Best ActorNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading RoleNominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
1999		Mr. Creakle	(TV)
2000
2001	''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring''		Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best CastSaturn Award for Best Supporting ActorScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting RoleNominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading RoleNominated—DVD Exclusive Awards
	2002	''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers''
	''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''
	Emile	Nominated—Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
''The Simpsons''	Himself	The Regina Monologues episode
2004		Jason Anders (in voice)
	''Neverwas''	Gabriel Finch
	Dr. Peter Cleave
	Zebedee	(voice)
''Coronation Street''	Mel Hutchwright	(10 episodes)
		Ian McKellen	Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
''Flushed Away''	The Toad
''X-Men: The Last Stand''		Nominated—Irish Film & Television Award for Best International ActorNominated—Teen Choice Awards for Movies – Choice Sleazebag (also for ''The Da Vinci Code'')
	Sir Leigh Teabing
		Narrator	(voice)
	Iorek Byrnison	(voice)
2008		King Lear
2009
2012			Filming
2013	''The Hobbit: There And Back Again''	Filming

Music [link]

Vampire in the music video "Heart" by Pet Shop Boys

The man who's "falling out of reach" in the music video "Falling Out of Reach" by Guillemots

Appears on the Scissor Sisters track "Invisible Light", from their 2010 album "Night Work", reciting a passage regarding the "Invisible Light" of the title.

Audiobooks[link]

Audiobook narrator of Michelle Paver's ''Chronicles of Ancient Darkness'' series ''Wolf Brother'', ''Spirit Walker'', ''Soul Eater'', ''Outcast'', "Oath Breaker", "Ghost Hunter" As well as a version of Homer's The Odyssey.

Other work[link]

A recording of McKellen's voice is heard before performances at the Royal Festival Hall, reminding patrons to ensure their mobile phones and watch alarms are switched off, and to keep coughing to a minimum.

Awards and honours [link]

Honours[link]

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1979, and knighted in 1991 New Year Honours for his outstanding work and contributions to theatre. In the 2008 New Year Honours he was made a Companion of Honour (CH) for services to drama and to equality.

Honourary degrees[link]

In 2001 McKellen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Bath. In 2004 McKellen was conferred an honourary Doctor of Letters by Lancaster University. He was praised for his diversity of roles, his "deeply considered dramatic technique" and his Lancastrian roots.

Awards[link]

1981: New York Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, for ''Amadeus''

1984: London Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Revival, for ''Wild Honey''

1984: London Evening Standard Award for Best Actor, for ''Coriolanus''

1989: London Evening Standard Award for Best Actor, for ''Othello''

1990: London Olivier Award for Best Actor, for ''Richard III''

1998: Back Stage West Garland Awards, for his one-man show ''A Knight Out in Los Angeles''

2004: Manila, Philippines Pride International Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement & Distinction Award''

2007: Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production, for ''Flushed Away''

In May 2007, he was named, by the Independent on Sunday Pink List, the fifth most influential gay person in Britain, down from the 1st place the previous year. 2009: San Sebastián International Film Festival Donostia Award in recognition of an extensive professional career. 2010: Empire Awards 2010: Empire Icon Award

References [link]

External links [link]

McKellen's home page

Interviews, blogs and clips [link]

Good Morning (TVNZ) interview with McKellen - Waiting for Godot/The Hobbit

Interview and photoshoot factory-publishing.com

McKellen's personal pages on the Lord of the Rings movie, with a diary and answers to questions by fans

Interview at www.sci-fi-online.com

Podcast interview

Interview at AfterElton.com

Extended BBC interviews with McKellen as he prepares to play King Lear

"A conversation with Sir Ian": Interactive video interview with McKellen on Shakespeare, Richard III and Richard's opening speech

Emma Brockes, ''Every inch a king'' (interview) ''The Guardian'', November 2007

Ian McKellen: A Free Man The Telegraph, 15 December 2008

Category:2012 Summer Olympics cultural ambassadors Category:Actors awarded British knighthoods Category:Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge Category:American Theatre Hall of Fame inductees Category:Annie Award winners Category:European Film Award for Best Actor winners Category:Back Stage West Garland Award recipients Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:English atheists Category:English film actors Category:English stage actors Category:English video game actors Category:English voice actors Category:Evening Standard Award for Best Actor Category:Gay actors Category:Independent Spirit Award winners Category:Knights Bachelor Category:LGBT people from England Category:LGBT rights activists from the United Kingdom Category:Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour Category:People educated at Bolton School Category:Laurence Olivier Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Burnley Category:People from Wigan Category:Royal National Theatre Company members Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members Category:Shakespearean actors Category:Tony Award winners Category:Audio book narrators Category:1939 births Category:Living people Category:GLAAD Media Award winners

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name	Susan Boyle
birth name	Susan Magdalane Boyle
background	solo_singer
born	April 01, 1961
origin	Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop
occupation	Singer
years active	2009–present
label	Sony Music, Syco, Columbia
associated acts	Elaine Paige, Geraldine McQueen, Emeli Sandé
website	}}

Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme ''Britain's Got Talent'' on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ''''. Her first album was released in November 2009 and debuted as the number one best-selling album on charts around the globe.

Global interest in Boyle was triggered by the contrast between her powerful mezzo-soprano voice and her plain appearance on stage. The juxtaposition of the audience's first impression of her, with the standing ovation she received during and after her performance, led to an international media and Internet response. Within nine days of the audition, videos of Boyle—from the show, various interviews and her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River"—had been watched over 100 million times. Her audition video has been viewed on the internet several hundred million times. Despite the sustained media interest she later finished in second place in the final of the show behind dance troupe Diversity.

Boyle's debut album, ''I Dreamed a Dream'' (2009) remains as the UK best-selling debut album of all time, beating previous record holder, ''Spirit'' by Leona Lewis. ''I Dreamed a Dream'' is ranked fourth in its first week sales according to the Official Chart Company in the United Kingdom. In her first year of fame, Boyle made a fortune of £5 million with the release of ''I Dreamed a Dream'' and its lead off singles, "I Dreamed a Dream" and "Wild Horses". The success was continued with her second album, ''The Gift'' (2010), and was followed by Boyle's third album, ''Someone to Watch Over Me'', released on 31 October 2011.

Life and career[link]

Early life and childhood[link]

Boyle was raised in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, by her parents Patrick Boyle, a miner, World War II veteran and singer at the Bishop's Blaize, and Bridget, a shorthand typist, whose family comes from County Donegal, Ireland. She was the youngest of four brothers and five sisters. Boyle was briefly deprived of oxygen during a difficult birth resulting in learning disability. Boyle says she was bullied as a child and was nicknamed "Susie Simple" at school.

After leaving school with few qualifications, she was employed for the only time in her life as a trainee cook in the kitchen of West Lothian College for six months, took part in government training programmes, and performed at a number of local venues.

Early musical training and career[link]

Boyle took singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil. She attended Edinburgh Acting School and took part in the Edinburgh Fringe. Prior to ''Britain's Got Talent'', her main experience had come from singing in her local Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes; in local choirs; and in karaoke performances at pubs in and around her village. She had also auditioned several times for ''My Kind of People''. She has also long participated in her parish church's pilgrimages to the Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland, and has sung there at the Marian basilica.

Her repertoire through the years has included songs such as "The Way We Were" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him." British tabloids claimed "exclusives" of video clips of some early performances. In 1995, her audition for Michael Barrymore's ''My Kind of People'' at the Olympia Shopping Centre in East Kilbride was filmedthe amateur video shows Barrymore was more interested in mocking her than in her ability to sing.

In 1999, she submitted a track for a charity CD to commemorate the Millennium produced at a West Lothian school. Only 1,000 copies of the CD, ''Music for a Millennium Celebration, Sounds of West Lothian'', were pressed. An early review in the ''West Lothian Herald & Post'' said Boyle's rendition of "Cry Me a River" was "heartbreaking" and "had been on repeat in my CD player ever since I got this CD..." The recording found its way onto the internet following her first televised appearance and the ''New York Post'' said it showed that Boyle was "not a one trick pony." ''Hello!'' said the recording "cement[ed] her status" as a singing star.

In 1998, Boyle recorded three tracks "Cry Me A River", "Killing Me Softly" & "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"at Heartbeat Studio, Midlothian. She used all her savings to pay for a professionally cut demo, copies of which she later sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV. The demo consisted of her versions of "Cry Me a River" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song"; the songs were uploaded to the Internet after her ''BGT'' audition.

After Boyle won several local singing competitions, her mother urged her to enter ''Britain's Got Talent'' and take the risk of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church. Former coach O'Neil said Boyle abandoned an audition for ''The X Factor'' because she believed people were being chosen for their looks. She almost abandoned her plan to enter ''Britain's Got Talent'' believing she was too old, but O'Neil persuaded her to audition nevertheless. Boyle said that she was motivated to seek a musical career to pay tribute to her mother. Her performance on the show was the first time she had sung in public since her mother died.

''Britain's Got Talent'' (2008–2009)[link]

In August 2008, Boyle applied for an audition for the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'' (as contestant number 43212) and was accepted after a preliminary audition in Glasgow. When Boyle first appeared on ''Britain's Got Talent'' at the city's Clyde Auditorium, she said that she aspired to become a professional singer "as successful as Elaine Paige". Boyle sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from ''Les Misérables'' in the first round of the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'', which was watched by over 10 million viewers when it aired on 11 April 2009. Programme judge Amanda Holden remarked upon the audience's initially cynical attitude, and the subsequent "biggest wake-up call ever" upon hearing her performance.

This performance was widely reported and tens of millions of people viewed the video on YouTube. Boyle was "absolutely gobsmacked" by the strength of this reaction. Since the appearance, Paige has expressed interest in singing a duet with Boyle, and has called her "a role model for everyone who has a dream". Boyle's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" has been credited with causing a surge in ticket sales in the Vancouver production of ''Les Misérables''. Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the ''Les Misérables'' musical, also praised the performance, as thrilling and uplifting".

She was one of 40 acts that were put through to the semi-finals. She appeared last on the first semi-final on 24 May 2009, performing "Memory" from the musical ''Cats''. In the public vote she was the act to receive the highest number of votes and go through to the final. She was the clear favourite to win the final, but ended up in second place to Diversity; the UK TV audience was a record of 17.3 million viewers.

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) became concerned by press reports about Boyle's erratic behaviour and speculation about her mental condition and wrote to remind editors about clause 3 (privacy) of their code of press conduct. The day after the final, Boyle was admitted to The Priory, a private psychiatric clinic in London, TalkbackThames explained "Following Saturday night's show, Susan is exhausted and emotionally drained." Her stay in hospital attracted widespread attention, with Prime Minister Gordon Brown wishing her well. Cowell offered to waive Boyle's contractual obligation to take part in the BGT tour. Her family said "she's been battered non-stop for the last seven weeks and it has taken its toll [...but...] her dream is very much alive," as she had been invited to the Independence Day celebrations at the White House.

Boyle left the clinic five days after her admission and said she would participate in the BGT tour. Despite health worries, she appeared in 20 of the 24 dates of the tour, and was well received in cities such as Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dublin, Sheffield, Coventry, Birmingham and London. The ''Belfast Telegraph'' said "Despite reports of crumbling under the pressure..., she exuded a confidence resembling that of a veteran who has been performing for years".

''I Dreamed a Dream'' and tour (2009–2010)[link]

Boyle's first album, ''I Dreamed a Dream'', was released on 23 November 2009. The album includes covers of "Wild Horses" and "You'll See" as well as "I Dreamed a Dream", and "Cry Me a River". ''I Dreamed a Dream'' became Amazon.com's best-selling album in pre-sales on 4 September 2009, three months before the scheduled release. In Britain, Boyle's debut album was recognised as the fastest selling UK debut album of all time selling 411,820 copies, beating the previous fastest selling debut of all time, ''Spirit'' by Leona Lewis. ''I Dreamed a Dream'' also outsold the rest of the top 5 albums combined in its first week.

In the U.S., the album sold 701,000 copies in its first week, the best opening week for a debut artist in over a decade. It topped the ''Billboard'' chart for six straight weeks and although it narrowly failed to become the best-selling album of 2009, with sales of 3,104,000 compared to 3,217,000 for Taylor Swift's ''Fearless'', it was one of only two albums to sell over 3 million copies in the U.S., and was also the top selling "physical" album of 2009, with only 86,000 of its sales coming from digital downloads. This has in turn garnered more media attention, as mentioned by ''People'' magazine.

In Italy, it was the first album of the month in the Italian No. 1 Account by a non-Italian artist ever. In only a week, it sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, becoming the fastest selling global female debut album.

Boyle gave a U.S. concert tour in November as a lead-up to the album release. On 13 December 2009 she appeared in her own television special "I Dreamed a Dream: the Susan Boyle Story", featuring a duet with Elaine Paige. It got ratings of 10 million viewers in the United Kingdom and in America was the TV Guide Network's highest rated television special in its history.

In November 2009 it was reported that Boyle's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" would be the theme song of the anime movie ''Eagle Talon The Movie 3'' which was later released in Japan on 16 January 2010. Boyle performed for Pope Benedict XVI on his tour of Britain in 2010. In May 2010, Susan Boyle was voted by ''Time'' magazine as the seventh most influential person in the world.

''The Gift'' (2010–2011)[link]

On 9 July 2010, Boyle announced that her second album would be a Christmas album entitled ''The Gift''. As part of the lead-up to the album, she held a competition called ''Susan's Search'', the winner of which sang a duet with her on her new CD. The album was released on 8 November 2010.

The album was produced by Steve Mac, who said that "Now Susan's used to the studio and the recording process, this time round we might go even further down a traditional route of recording by getting a band together and rehearsing songs before we go into the studio to see what works, how she reacts with certain parts, and so we can change the arrangements that way. I think that’s going to work much better....With Susan it’s very important she connects with the public and the public connect with her. She doesn’t want to sing anything that hasn’t happened to her or she can’t relate to." Boyle has suggested the album will include some jazz numbers now she's "a bit more content" within herself. "My next album has to have an element of surprise in it again. I'm hoping to make it better and a bit extra special."

In November 2010, Boyle became only one of three to ever top both the UK and US album charts twice in the same year. On 30 November 2010, in the United States, Boyle performed on ABC's ''The View'' singing "O Holy Night" and then on NBC's ''Christmas at Rockefeller Center'' program performing "Perfect Day" and "Away in a Manger". During her appearance on ''The View'' she was unable to finish her song, stating that she had a "frog in her throat"; she wanted to start the song over but was not allowed to. The audience applauded her anyway and she later performed an unaired version of the song which was uploaded to ''The View's'' YouTube account.

''Someone to Watch Over Me'' (2011–present)[link]

Emeli Sande was reported to have helped Boyle to write songs for her third studio album, which was released on 31 October 2011. Boyle performed on the second semi-final results show of the sixth season of ''America's Got Talent'', which aired on 31 August 2011.

Boyle made her first appearance in Australia, on ''X Factor Australia'', on 8 November 2011 and sang "Autumm Leaves".

Media impact[link]

Websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have been crucial in facilitating Boyle's rapid rise to fame: The most popular YouTube video submission of her audition garnered nearly 2.5 million views in the first 72 hours. On the day following the performance, the YouTube video was the most popular article on Digg and made the front page of Reddit. Within a week, the audition performance had been viewed more than 66 million times, setting an online record, while on Wikipedia her biographical article attracted nearly half a million page views. A total of 103 million video views on 20 different Web sites was reached within nine days. The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that her popularity on YouTube may in part be due to the broad range of emotion packed into a short clip which was "perfect for the Internet". In December 2009 her audition was named the most watched YouTube video of the year with over 120 million viewings, more than three times higher than the second most popular video.

Additionally, Boyle’s first on camera interview with Scots journalist Richard Mooney for her local newspaper the West Lothian Courier, was named as YouTube’s Most Memorable Video of 2009. The video went viral after being uploaded to YouTube on 14 April 2009.

Many newspapers around the world (including China, Brazil and the Middle East) carried articles on Boyle's performance. British tabloid ''The Sun'' gave her the nickname "Paula Potts" in reference to the first series' winner Paul Potts. Later, the British press took to referring to her by a short-form of her name, 'SuBo'. In the U.S., several commentators also drew parallels between Boyle's performance and that of Potts. ''ABC News'' hailed "Britain's newest pop sensation", and its Entertainment section headlined Boyle as "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell".

Within the week following her performance on ''Britain's Got Talent'', Boyle was a guest on STV's ''The Five Thirty Show''. She was interviewed via satellite on CBS's ''Early Show'', ''Good Morning America'', NBC's Today, FOX's ''America's Newsroom''. and ''The Oprah Winfrey Show''. Via satellite on ''Larry King Live'', Boyle performed an a cappella verse of "My Heart Will Go On". She was also portrayed in drag by Jay Leno, who joked that they were related through his mother's Scottish heritage.

At the invitation of NHK, a major Japanese broadcaster, Boyle appeared as a guest singer for the 2009 edition of Kōhaku Uta Gassen, annual songfest on 31 December in Tokyo. She was introduced as the by the MCs and appeared on the stage escorted by Takuya Kimura, and sang "I Dreamed a Dream".

Although Boyle was not eligible for the 2010 Grammy Awards, its host Stephen Colbert paid tribute to Boyle at the ceremony, telling its audience "you may be the coolest people in the world, but this year your industry was saved by a 48-year-old Scottish cat lady in sensible shoes." There was also earlier controversy, when Boyle was not nominated in any of the categories for the 2010 Brit Awards.

Stage musical[link]

A stage musical of Boyle's life was originally planned with Boyle appearing as herself. She said she hated "having to sit watching people up there" who are actors. However it was later decided that actress Elaine C Smith would portray her and Boyle would join the cast of ''I Dreamed a Dream'' for a cameo appearance.

''I Dreamed a Dream'' opened on 27 March 2012 with fans from all over the world occupying the Theatre Royal, Newcastle for the opening week. The musical received rave reviews. David Cavendish wrote in his 5 star review “The overall shape of the show is hard to fault, and in matching the gutsy good humour of its heroine without stooping to hagiography, this is a delight that deserves to go far, and fast, as she has done.” John Dixon from his 5 star review on WhatsOnStage.com wrote "This production is a standalone show that should still play to audiences long after Elaine C Smith and Susan Boyle have left. In fact it deserves to become recognised as the Scottish equivalent to Blood Brothers, so strong are the production values. There is no doubting I Dreamed A Dream is one of the musical events of the year."

The musical will later tour the UK and Ireland.

Social analyses[link]

Judging by appearance[link]

''The Huffington Post'' noted that the producers of the show would have anticipated the potential of this story arc, by deliberately presenting Boyle in a manner that would enhance this initial reaction. ''The Herald'' described Boyle's story as a modern parable and a rebuke to people's tendency to judge others based on their physical appearance. Similarly, ''Entertainment Weekly'' said that Boyle's performance was a victory for talent and artistry in a culture obsessed with physical attractiveness and presentation. ''The Washington Post'' believed that her initial demeanour and homely appearance caused the judges and audience to be "waiting for her to squawk like a duck". New York's ''Daily News'' said that an underdog being ridiculed or humiliated but then enjoying an unexpected triumph is a common trope in literature, and the stark contrast between the audience's low expectations and the quality of her singing made Boyle's performance such an engaging piece of television.

Feminist view[link]

R.M. Campbell, music critic for ''The Gathering Note'' compared her to Ella Fitzgerald, in that "[... it is] really, really hard to make a career if a woman isn't attractive." In another ''Huffington Post'' article, Letty Cottin Pogrebin wrote that although people may "weep for the years of wasted talent", Boyle's performance was a triumph for "women of a certain age" over a youth culture that often dismisses middle-aged women. Tanya Gold wrote in ''The Guardian'' that the difference between Boyle's hostile reception and the more neutral response to Paul Potts in his first audition reflected society's expectation that women be both good-looking and talented, with no such expectation existing for men. Los Angeles vocal coach Eric Vetro stated, "She's an Everywoman as opposed to an untouchable fantasy goddess, so maybe that's why people react to her."

American Dream[link]

Several media sources have commented that Boyle's success seemed to have particular resonance in the United States. An American entertainment correspondent was quoted in ''The Scotsman'' comparing Boyle's story to the American Dream, as representing talent overcoming adversity and poverty. The ''Associated Press'' described this as Boyle's "hardscrabble story", dwelling on her modest lifestyle and what they characterised as urban deprivation in her home town. Similarly, ''The Independent'''s New York correspondent David Usborne wrote that the United States will always respond to "the fairy tale where the apparently unprepossessing suddenly becomes pretty, from ''Shrek'' to ''My Fair Lady''".

Personal life[link]

Boyle still lives in the family home, a four-bedroom council house in Blackburn which she purchased from her earnings in 2010. Her father died in the 1990s, and her siblings had left home. Boyle never married, and she dedicated herself to care for her ageing mother until she died in 2007 at the age of 91. A neighbour reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter "wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone." Boyle is a practising Roman Catholic and sang in her church choir at her church in Blackburn. Boyle remains active as a volunteer at her church, visiting elderly members of the congregation in their homes. On a 2010 episode of the ''Oprah Winfrey Show'', Boyle summarised that her daily life was "mundane" and "routine" prior to stardom.

In August 2010, British tabloid, ''News of the World'', reported that Boyle was experiencing financial woes as she was unable to access her fortune, which was being controlled by her management team – consisting of Andy Stephens, Ossie Killkenny and Boyle's lawyer and niece, Kirsty Foy. Boyle's brother Gerry said that his sister was fearful of losing her contract and of returning to her previous financial situation and also that she has been unable to move into her £300,000 five-bedroom house in Blackburn because she does not have the cash to furnish it. He said "[Her] millions are ring-fenced but Susan has no concept of money" and that she was "extremely distressed" at having to live off £300 a week after being banned from withdrawing money from the bank or owning a credit card. This story was contradicted the following day, however, by the news that she had bought two houses. It was also reported that Boyle had been on a spending spree in which she had bought a grand piano, an iPhone and five dresses made by Stewart Parvin, the Queen's dressmaker. The press had previously stated that Boyle was suing her brother Gerry for other stories he had sold to the newspapers.

Cultural references[link]

The American cartoon show ''South Park'' made a reference to the Susan Boyle craze in the episode "Fatbeard", which aired on 22 April 2009; the ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' show aired a comedy sketch showing the "feel good" effect that Susan Boyle's performance has had on people; ''The Simpsons'' aired a new commercial for its 20th-anniversary show "Springfield's Got Talent", in which Homer Simpson talks about his dreams "to be a great singer like Boyle". A European trailer for the video game ''The Sims 3'' includes a character mocked up as Boyle. In June 2009, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a short story called "I Dreamed a Dream" that was based on a combination of Boyle's appearances on ''Britain's Got Talent'' and the political difficulties of Gordon Brown. The 5 November 2009 episode of the show ''30 Rock'' showed recurring character Kathy Geiss (Marceline Hugot) – who has a dowdy appearance – singing in the style of Susan Boyle as Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy teared up. In a Season 35 sketch on ''Saturday Night Live'', an accountant (Andy Samberg) doing Boyle's taxes, notes that her income for 2008 was $1, $900,000,000 for 2009, and projected to be $1 for 2010. Bobby Moynihan played Boyle in the sketch.

In the ''Futurama'' episode "Attack of the Killer App", Leela has a boil named Susan ("Susan Boil") that can sing show tunes.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

''I Dreamed a Dream'' (2009)

''The Gift'' (2010)

''Someone to Watch Over Me'' (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

! Year	! Association	! Category	! Result
2011	53rd Grammy Awards
2012	54th Grammy Awards

References[link]

Further reading[link]

Boyle, Susan. ''The Woman I Was Born to Be: My Story'' (2010) Atria Books ISBN 1451609256

External links[link]

Category:1961 births Category:Britain's Got Talent contestants Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Living people Category:People from Blackburn, West Lothian Category:Scottish female singers Category:Scottish mezzo-sopranos Category:Scottish people of Irish descent Category:Scottish pop singers Category:Scottish Roman Catholics Category:Torch singers *

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