I McKellen, you McKellen, he McKellen, she McKellen

Wouldn't you like to be McKellen too?

On hearing the news that Sir Ian will return as Gandalf, NYMag writer Adam Sternbergh says:

We’re so generally in awe of Sir Ian that we propose a new verb: to McKellen.

McKellen (v)

Definition: When a distinguished actor sells out late in his/her career in a way that feels earned and great and non-reprehensible because he/she is awesome and totally deserves it.

Usage: Let’s say Dame Judi Dench accepted the role of Hippolyte, Wonder Woman’s mother in a Wonder Woman film. (Don’t get excited, fanboys, we’re just blue-skying here, though we now expect to see this rumor on Ain’t It Cool by Friday.) You can say, “Yes, I heard she’s McKellening the role.” Or, “She’s reportedly McKellening it over.” As for Sir Ian, we’re ecstatic to hear that he’ll once again be McKellening the white-bearded wizard.