MCKELLEN FINDS FLAWS IN PERFORMANCES

The veteran star has appeared in numerous Shakespearean tragedies both on stage and screen, including Macbeth in 1979, Othello in 1990 and Richard III in 1995.

But McKellen insists he despises watching his past work.

He says, "It's no pleasure. I did see Macbeth and it's a little like looking at old snaps of yourself. I know it's good, but when I look at myself in it, all I can hear are lines and inflections I don't like.

"In Othello I speak too quickly. The performance is fine. The reading is fine. The execution is not.

"Richard III - terrific. But then, it was a film. More care goes into a film. It's different."